Luciferase activity as a marker of tumor burden and as an indicator of tumor response to antineoplastic therapyin vivo

Abstract

The gene encoding firefly luciferase has been used as a reporter gene for the study of gene function. The luciferase catalyzes its substrate and subsequently produces luminescence. In addition, it is not present in mammalian cells. We have therefore explored its use in monitoring the growth of tumorsin vivo. The luciferase gene was transfected into two murine tumor lines, i.e. cl62 melanoma and M109 lung carcinoma, and the luciferase activity associated with the cells was determined by a rapid chemiluminescent reaction. Luciferase activity was well-correlated with the number of tumor cellsin vitro. Luciferase activity also correlated with the tumor burdenin vivo, as well as with the effect of an adoptive T cell transfer therapy in the syngeneic C3H/HeN mice experimental tumor model. This assay offers the advantage of being quantitative, rapid, and reliable for the detection of tumor burden and for the evaluation of the effect of antineoplastic therapy.