Trial Information

Xenotransplantation of Primary Leukemia Samples Into Zebrafish

OBJECTIVES:

- Demonstrate the capability of primary human leukemia samples to survive and proliferate
in the zebrafish embryo.

- Confirm the anti-proliferative or toxic effects of known chemotherapeutics on the
transplanted cells in vivo.

- Evaluate the effect of novel anticancer drugs and/or their combinations on individual
samples.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.

Cryopreserved specimens are injected into the yolk sac of zebrafish embryos under
anesthesia. After 1 hour of recovery at 28° C, embryos are maintained at 38° C and screened
for fluorescence at the injection site. Within 48 hours post-injection, some embryos are
treated with various chemotherapeutic drugs or dimethyl sulfoxide and incubated in protease
solution. Proliferation of leukemia cells are monitored by live-cell microscopy. Cells with
or without drug treatment are then extracted at 24 and 72 hours post-injection. Leukemia
cells are counted and tested with imatinib mesylate, all-trans retinoic acid (tretinoin),
cytosine arabinose, and known bioactive chemical compounds from promising drug families,
such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors, antiapoptotic agents, channel modulators, and
prostaglandin agonists.