Xenografting SCID Mice with U87MG Glioblastoma

Female SCID and normal Swiss mice were housed at the SOL-GEL laboratory at the NCSR “Demokritos” and SCID mice were xenografted at two weeks of age, subcutaneously just above the right flank, with U87MG cells that were previously grown in DMEM, as previously described [37 (link)]. The tumor volume, mice weights, and survival rates were calculated in different time intervals. Mice were housed in groups of three per cage under positive pressure in polysulfone type IIL individual ventilated cages (Sealsafe, Tecniplast, Buguggiate, Italy) and had ad libitum access to water and food. Room temperature and relative humidity were 24 ± 2 °C and 55 ± 10% respectively. All animals in the facility were screened regularly according to the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations’ recommendations and were found to be free of the respective pathogens. Animals were sacrificed under deep ether anesthesia and the brain tissues were rapidly extracted, placed in a polypropylene tube, immediately snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen, and stored at −80 °C.