Notch3 Signaling in MMTV-Neu Breast Cancer

Experiments with mice were conducted in the AniCan Animal Facility of the Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL) in agreement with the local ethics comity (CECCAPP, Comité d’Evaluation Commun au PBES, à AniCan, au laboratoire P4, à l’animalerie de transit de l’ENS, à l’animalerie de l’IGFL, au PRECI, à l’animalerie du Cours Albert Thomas, au CARRTEL INRA Thonon-les-Bains et à l’animalerie de transit de l’IBCP). C57BL/6 LacZ Notch3 knock-in mice were generously given by Silvia Fre and Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas and have been previously characterized [24 (link)]. Back-crossing of these mice with Balb/c mice was done in order to obtain a Balb/C pure genetic background. Balb/c LacZ Notch3 mice were crossed with Balb/MMTV-Neu mice [23 (link)]. Mice were monitored for tumor development every two days. Once tumors were palpable, mice were reared for 30 days, sacrificed and tumors dissected. Mice were sacrificed before the end of the experiment if necessary, according to animal care guidelines. No animals were excluded from the study. No randomization was performed. Breeding was carried out in order to obtain the same amount of controls and KO animals in littermates. Investigator was blinded while assessing tumor occurrence in mice mammary gland since genotype was carried out by another investigator.