Caov-3 / Caov-3-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Service for Ovarian Cancer

The Caov-3 / Caov-3-luc orthotopic mouse model for ovarian cancer establishes a slow-growing, p53-mutant, PIK3CA-amplified human adenocarcinoma within the ovarian bursa or peritoneal cavity of NSG mice, recreating the peritoneal dissemination pattern that defines the human disease. Focused exclusively on preclinical oncology, Alfa Cytology delivers this xenograft platform end to end: authenticated Caov-3 / Caov-3-luc cell supply, bursa or peritoneal orthotopic inoculation into NSG hosts, scheduled in vivo imaging, and endpoint histopathological confirmation with CA-125 IHC.

Overview of Caov-3 / Caov-3-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model for Ovarian Cancer

Caov-3 belongs to the celebrated Fogh collection of human tumor lines assembled at the Sloan Kettering Institute. Isolated in 1976 from the ovary of a 54-year-old White female patient with adenocarcinoma, and catalogued by ATCC as HTB-75, the line carries a biologically rich genotype: a nonsense mutation in p53 and multiple copies of PIK3CA—the latter finding, published in Nature Genetics in 1999, stands as one of the landmark demonstrations that PIK3CA acts as an oncogene in ovarian cancer. The epithelial cells form tightly packed adherent colonies, express the ovarian tumor antigens NB/70K, CA-125, Ba-2, and Ca-1, and show unusual behavioral fingerprints: all-trans retinoic acid suppresses their growth in vitro, they fail to form colonies in soft agar despite being fully tumorigenic in immunocompromised mice, and their population doubling time approaches 78 hours—among the slowest of the commonly used ovarian lines, which shapes every in vivo timeline. They are sensitive to vinblastine, cisplatin, and adriamycin, and reported cisplatin resistance in the xenograft setting has made the line a useful system for studying acquired chemoresistance.

Fig 1. Among 11 cell lines genomically classified as HGSOC, Caov-3 cells formed tumors in all 6 cases (6/6) following intraperitoneal inoculation (5 × 10⁶ cells). (Mitra, Anirban K., et al., 2015)

In vivo, Caov-3 forms both subcutaneous and intraperitoneal xenografts, and in a systematic comparative study of cell lines that genomically resemble high-grade serous ovarian cancer, Caov-3 was among the six lines that formed intraperitoneal tumors with authentic HGSOC histology. For true orthotopic modeling, the ovarian bursa is the target: published formats inject luciferase-labeled ovarian cancer cells, mixed 1:1 with carcinoma-associated mesenchymal stem cells that supply human stromal support, directly into the ovarian bursa of NSG mice, producing aggressive primary tumors with early diffuse abdominal metastases detectable within two weeks. Luciferase-tagged Caov-3 (Caov-3-luc) enables whole-animal bioluminescence after D-luciferin administration to track primary ovarian growth, peritoneal seeding, and ascites formation, with ex vivo imaging and H&E, PAX8, p53, and WT1 immunohistochemistry confirming serous histology at endpoint. The platform has served PI3K-pathway inhibitor programs, retinoid differentiation studies, chemoresistance mechanism research, and stromal-targeting strategies. Figure 1 outlines how this orthotopic system is assembled and monitored.

Cell Line Information: Caov-3 / Caov-3-luc

Caov-3’s long history has left it documented from isoenzyme charts to PIK3CA amplification studies. The defining attributes are summarized below.

Our Services

A Caov-3 / Caov-3-luc engagement with Alfa Cytology is run as one accountable program: slow-growth-aware cell banking, bursa or peritoneal orthotopic inoculation with optional stromal co-injection into NSG recipients, calibrated IVIS imaging on extended schedules, dosing per the client’s regimen, and a terminal package combining peritoneal metastasis mapping, ascites quantification, and CA-125/PAX8/p53/WT1-confirmed histopathology.

Workflow of Caov-3 / Caov-3-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Construction

Establishing a Caov-3 or Caov-3-luc orthotopic ovarian tumor is a surgery-plus-dissemination workflow: the bursa inoculation seeds a primary ovarian tumor, and the peritoneal cavity then becomes the stage for the disease’s characteristic spread. The sequence below reflects the standard execution of this platform.

1. Cell Bank Verification and Expansion: Caov-3 or Caov-3-luc stocks are authenticated by STR profiling and mycoplasma testing, then expanded patiently in DMEM-based medium, respecting the ~78-hour doubling time to reach the required scale.
2. Luciferase Calibration (Caov-3-luc Only): Signal output per cell is verified in vitro, and CA-125⁺ identity is confirmed by flow cytometry or IHC before in vivo use.
3. Mouse Preparation and Randomization: Female NSG mice are acclimatized and randomized by body weight; abdominal fur is clipped under approved animal protocols with anesthesia and analgesia.
4. Orthotopic Bursa or Peritoneal Inoculation: Through a small flank laparotomy the ovarian fat pad is exteriorized, and luciferase-labeled Caov-3 cells—optionally mixed 1:1 with carcinoma-associated mesenchymal stem cells to supply human stromal support—are injected into the ovarian bursa in a minimal volume; a peritoneal-format cohort may be inoculated intraperitoneally instead.
5. Closure and Postoperative Recovery: The abdominal wall and skin are sutured, and animals recover under warming with daily monitoring until fully ambulatory.
6. Longitudinal Bioluminescence Monitoring: Weekly IVIS sessions after D-luciferin (150 mg/kg i.p.) track primary ovarian growth, the onset of peritoneal seeding, and rising abdominal signal; body weight and abdominal girth are recorded in parallel as ascites indicators.
7. Treatment Administration: Test agents—PI3K-pathway inhibitors, retinoids, platinum combinations, or stromal-targeting constructs—are dosed per the client’s schedule once tumors are established, with treatment start aligned to the slow growth kinetics.
8. Endpoint Necropsy and Histopathology: At humane endpoint, ascites volume is measured, the peritoneal cavity is surveyed for metastatic implants, all organs are imaged ex vivo, and ovaries, omentum, and lesions are processed for H&E and IHC (CA-125, PAX8, p53, WT1) to confirm high-grade serous histology.

Fig 2. Caov-3 / Caov-3-luc orthotopic mouse model construction workflow.

Case Study-Caov-3 / Caov-3-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Development

Alfa Cytology has executed preclinical programs on the Caov-3 / Caov-3-luc orthotopic platform for clients evaluating PI3K-pathway inhibitors, platinum-based combinations, retinoid-based differentiation strategies, and stromal-targeting approaches, delivering extended-timeline bioluminescence growth records, peritoneal metastasis maps, ascites measurements, and histopathology-confirmed endpoint packages. Because each engagement is configured around the client’s own therapeutic hypothesis, study outlines and representative datasets are available upon request.

Why Choose Alfa Cytology?

Ovarian orthotopic work punishes haste: slow-growing primaries, delicate bursa surgery, and peritoneal spread that must be mapped, not guessed. Alfa Cytology’s combined surgical, imaging, and histopathology discipline keeps Caov-3 / Caov-3-luc studies faithful to the disease they model.

• Authenticated Caov-3 / Caov-3-luc banks with STR and mycoplasma verification and CA-125 identity checks.
• Slow-growth-aware banking and scheduling honoring the ~78-hour doubling time.
• Ovarian bursa surgical expertise with optional CA-MSC stromal co-injection.
• Calibrated in-house IVIS imaging tracking primary growth, peritoneal seeding, and ascites.
• Endpoint packages combining peritoneal metastasis mapping with CA-125/PAX8/p53/WT1 histology.
• A dedicated project team owning the study from surgery through final data delivery.

Contact Us

Whether the target is the PI3K pathway, platinum resistance, or the stromal microenvironment, Alfa Cytology can configure a Caov-3 / Caov-3-luc orthotopic study that models ovarian cancer as it actually behaves. Contact us today to discuss study design and imaging cadence, or reach out to our team for a customized quotation.

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