Annual Report 2022
Section of Experimental Animals
Yoshikatsu Koga, Kimie Iijima, Go Suzuki, Taeko Aruga, Mutsumi Iwabuchi, Rikako Kamada, Tomoki Shigematsu, Fangling Fan
Introduction
The basic and translational research undertaken in the Exploratory Oncology Research & Clinical Trial Center (EPOC) and the National Cancer Center Hospital East (NCCHE) is aimed toward future clinical use. To develop anti-cancer drugs based on a novel concept or a novel imaging technology, animal experiments are necessary. In addition to cell line derived xenograft (CDX) models in which human cancer cells are transplanted into immunodeficient mice, also spontaneous cancer models using genetically modified mice and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models using human cancer tissue that are reproduced the cancer microenvironment, are used in the animal facility of the EPOC. Development of novel surgical and endoscopic instruments using experimental pigs is also conducted in the animal facility. The Section of Experimental Animals supports the animal experiments conducted in the EPOC and the NCCHE.
On March 13, 2023, the animal facilities are certified as being compatible with the "Basic policies for the conduct of animal experimentation in the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare" stipulated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, based on the assessment by the Center for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care and Use, Japan Pharmaceutical Information Center.
The Team and What We Do
- Health management of experimental animals and maintenance of animal laboratories.
- Approval of animal experiments and gene recombinant experiments in accordance with the regulations.
Animal-breeding rooms: specific pathogen-free (SPF) rooms (eight rooms for mice and one room for rats), conventional rooms (one room for mice, one room for rats and rabbits, and one room for pigs), and a P2 animal laboratory.
In FY2022, 63 studies involving animal experiments and 36 studies with gene recombinant experiments were approved by the Committee of Experimental Animals and Gene Recombination.
Education
All researchers and clinicians who use the animal facilities are required to attend a lecture on animal experiments according to the Guideline of Animal Experiments every year. In FY2022, 197 researchers or clinicians attended the educational lecture.
Future Prospects
The Section of Experimental Animals will support animal experiments conducted in the EPOC and the NCCHE.
List of papers published in 2022
Journal
1. Takashima H, Ohnuki K, Manabe S, Koga Y, Tsumura R, Anzai T, Wang Y, Yin X, Sato N, Shigekawa Y, Nambu A, Usuda S, Haba H, Fujii H, Yasunaga M. Tumor Targeting of (211)At-Labeled Antibody under Sodium Ascorbate Protection against Radiolysis. Molecular pharmaceutics, 20:1156-1167, 2023