AGS / AGS-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Service for Gastric Cancer

The AGS / AGS-luc orthotopic mouse model for gastric cancer implants human gastric adenocarcinoma cells directly into the stomach wall of immunodeficient mice, where they form an invasive primary tumor whose development can be tracked non-invasively in real time. With dedicated surgical, imaging, and pathology capabilities, Alfa Cytology offers a complete preclinical package for this model, covering cell line preparation, orthotopic implantation, bioluminescence-based efficacy monitoring, and endpoint tissue analysis.

Overview of AGS / AGS-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model for Gastric Cancer

The AGS cell line is one of the most widely used in vitro and in vivo models of human gastric adenocarcinoma. Isolated in 1979 from the stomach of a 54-year-old female patient who had received no prior anticancer treatment, AGS retains an epithelial morphology, grows adherently under standard culture conditions, and carries a hyperdiploid karyotype. Because AGS is of human origin, it must be engrafted into immunodeficient hosts such as nude, SCID, or NOD-SCID mice, which positions the model squarely in the xenograft category rather than the syngeneic setting.

Fig 1. Longitudinal bioluminescence imaging of an AGS-Luc orthotopic gastric cancer model, demonstrating progressive primary tumor establishment and growth over six weeks. (Busuttil, Rita A., et al., 2018)

In the orthotopic configuration, AGS cells tagged with firefly luciferase (AGS-luc) are delivered into the subserosal layer of the gastric body through microsurgical injection. The cells establish a primary tumor at the injection site that progressively invades through the stomach wall within several weeks, while the intensity and spatial pattern of the bioluminescent signal report tumor burden throughout the in vivo experiment. Baseline AGS tumors are characteristically invasive with limited distant spread, a behavior that makes the platform especially suitable for studying local invasion and for testing anti-invasive and antitumor therapeutics, with experimental manipulations able to push the cells toward metastatic dissemination to organs such as the lungs. Figure 1 below illustrates the typical workflow of this orthotopic xenograft system.

Cell Line Information: AGS / AGS-luc

AGS is a well-characterized human gastric adenocarcinoma line, and its luciferase-tagged derivative AGS-luc extends the same biology into the realm of molecular imaging. The principal attributes of both variants are compiled below.

Our Services

Clients receive far more than an implanted cohort of mice: Alfa Cytology handles STR authentication of AGS or AGS-luc stocks, the precision gastric-wall surgery, scheduled IVIS imaging sessions, and final histopathological confirmation, delivering a consolidated dataset ready for downstream decision-making.

Workflow of AGS / AGS-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Construction

Building an AGS or AGS-luc orthotopic gastric tumor combines meticulous cell quality control with microsurgical implantation and longitudinal molecular imaging. The procedure runs from authenticated cell banks through subserosal inoculation and weekly bioluminescence readouts to comprehensive endpoint analysis.

1. Cell Line Authentication and Expansion: AGS or AGS-luc cells are recovered from authenticated stocks, verified by STR profiling and mycoplasma testing, and expanded in vitro under the recommended F-12K-based culture conditions.
2. Luciferase Validation (AGS-luc Only): For luciferase-tagged stocks, the relationship between cell number and bioluminescent output is confirmed in vitro so that in vivo signals can be interpreted quantitatively.
3. Recipient Mouse Preparation: Immunodeficient animals (commonly nude or NOD-SCID strains) are acclimatized and randomized by body weight, with anesthesia and perioperative analgesia administered under approved animal protocols.
4. Surgical Exposure of the Gastric Body: A small midline laparotomy is performed aseptically to expose the stomach, which is gently exteriorized and stabilized for cell delivery.
5. Subserosal Orthotopic Inoculation: A single-cell suspension of AGS or AGS-luc cells (typically around 10⁶ cells in a minimal-volume carrier) is injected slowly into the subserosal layer of the gastric wall to form a localized tumor nidus.
6. Wound Closure and Postoperative Care: The abdominal wall and skin are sutured, and animals recover under observation with daily health checks until fully ambulatory.
7. Longitudinal Tumor Monitoring: Tumor engraftment and growth are followed by weekly bioluminescence imaging after intraperitoneal D-luciferin administration, with body weight recorded on a defined schedule throughout the in vivo phase.
8. Endpoint Analysis: At study termination, the stomach and major organs are examined and imaged ex vivo; primary tumors are weighed, the depth of gastric wall invasion is scored by immunohistochemistry, and metastatic foci are documented.

Fig 2. AGS / AGS-luc orthotopic mouse model construction workflow.

Case Study-AGS / AGS-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Development

In preclinical engagements based on this platform, Alfa Cytology has generated orthotopic AGS / AGS-luc gastric tumors in immunodeficient mice and executed client-specified dosing regimens, capturing longitudinal bioluminescence growth curves, primary tumor weights, gastric wall invasion scores, and organ-by-organ metastasis surveys. Representative study outlines and datasets from these preclinical programs can be shared with interested clients upon inquiry.

Why Choose Alfa Cytology?

Orthotopic gastric xenografts demand precision at every step, from authenticated starting material to quantitative imaging readouts. Alfa Cytology integrates these capabilities under one quality framework to keep AGS / AGS-luc studies on schedule and scientifically defensible.

• Rigorous STR and mycoplasma quality control applied to every AGS / AGS-luc cell bank.
• Skilled microsurgical implantation into the gastric subserosa with consistent technique across cohorts.
• In-house IVIS bioluminescence imaging for real-time, quantitative tracking of tumor burden in vivo.
• Assay flexibility spanning antitumor, anti-invasive, and metastasis-oriented study designs.
• Histopathology expertise for invasion scoring and metastasis confirmation at endpoint.
• Transparent timelines, proactive project communication, and data packages formatted for client reporting.

Contact Us

If your preclinical program calls for a human gastric cancer model with real-time imaging visibility, Alfa Cytology is ready to build the AGS / AGS-luc orthotopic study around your candidate therapy. Contact us today to discuss your study design and readout requirements, or reach out to our team for a tailored quotation.

For research use only. Not intended for any clinical use.