Intra-rectal injection of tumour cells: a novel animal model of rectal cancer

The purpose of this study was to develop an animal model of rectal cancer. Three murine-derived cell lines, B16 melanoma, CT26 and MCA38 colon carcinoma, as well as the human colon cancer cell line LS174T were injected into the submucosa of the mouse rectum. Subcutaneous CT26 anbd B16 tumours and intra-caecal CT26 tumours served as controls for tumourigenicity of the cell lines. B16 melanoma produced a locally aggressive rectal tumour as well as skin and para-aortic lymph node metastases. CT26 produced local tumour when injected intra-rectally and colon tumours and liver metastases when injected into the caecum. MCA38 and LS174T intra-rectal injections resulted in large rectal carcinomas without metastases. We believe that growth of a colon cancer cell line in the rectum approximates the human disease more closely than other models of colorectal cancer. We would expect that the model could similarly be utilized to assess the effects of novel adjuvant treatments for rectal cancer as well as in the study of the tumour biology of rectal cancer.