LNCaP / LNCaP-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Service for Prostate Cancer

The LNCaP / LNCaP-luc orthotopic mouse model for prostate cancer is an androgen-responsive human xenograft platform in which PSA-secreting LNCaP tumor cells are implanted directly into the prostate of immunodeficient mice, faithfully reproducing hormone-dependent tumor growth and the characteristic regression-and-relapse dynamics seen after androgen withdrawal. Alfa Cytology builds this model as a comprehensive preclinical offering — covering authenticated LNCaP / LNCaP-luc expansion and luciferase-stable cell banking, urologic orthotopic implantation, castration and hormone-ablation arms, scheduled in vivo bioluminescence and circulating-PSA monitoring, and full histopathological endpoints — configured precisely to each sponsor’s therapeutic hypothesis and decision timeline.

Overview of LNCaP / LNCaP-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model for Prostate Cancer

LNCaP occupies a singular place in prostate cancer research as the first widely adopted human cell line capable of modeling androgen-dependent disease. Isolated in 1977 by Horoszewicz and colleagues from a needle-aspirate of a metastatic lesion in the left supraclavicular lymph node of a patient with disseminated prostate carcinoma, the line is epithelial and luminal in character, secretes both prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and prostatic acid phosphatase, and expresses functional androgen and estrogen receptors — its AR carrying the well-characterized T877A ligand-binding-domain mutation that alters steroid responsiveness. LNCaP is hypotetraploid, retains wild-type p53, and is strictly androgen dependent: growth is stimulated by dihydrotestosterone, stalls in charcoal-stripped serum in vitro, and slows markedly in castrated hosts in vivo. Orthotopically implanted LNCaP tumors in immunodeficient mice recapitulate a clinically iconic response pattern — after castration, intratumoral PSA expression falls by more than 90% within about one week, then rebounds to baseline or higher within two to three weeks, mirroring the serum-PSA kinetics observed in patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy.

Fig 1. Longitudinal BLI of orthotopic LNCaP-luc tumors in humanized vs non-humanized prostate over 11 weeks, ex vivo organ imaging, and H&E/Lamin A+C/NuMA/PSMA staining. (McGovern, Jacqui A., et al., 2021)

The luciferase-engineered derivative LNCaP-luc layers quantitative, non-invasive readouts onto this biology: stable firefly luciferase expression allows tumor take and burden to be verified and tracked over time by in vivo bioluminescence imaging after luciferin administration, while serum PSA can be measured in parallel as a second, translationally grounded biomarker. This dual-readout design makes the orthotopic LNCaP / LNCaP-luc pair especially powerful for studying androgen deprivation regimens, next-generation anti-androgen combinations, resistance emergence under continuous pressure, and imaging-agent evaluation in the organ-confined setting — and when combined with the model’s compatibility with SCID, nude, and NSG hosts, it supports everything from single-agent efficacy screens to biomarker-stratified study designs.

Cell Line Information: LNCaP / LNCaP-luc

The table below assembles the defining characteristics of the LNCaP parental line and its luciferase-labeled derivative LNCaP-luc. As human-derived xenografts, both require immunodeficient hosts for in vivo propagation.

Our Services

Alfa Cytology runs the LNCaP / LNCaP-luc orthotopic model as a precisely choreographed preclinical program: authenticated cell banks, microsurgical implantation, timed androgen manipulations, paired bioluminescence and serum-PSA readouts, and endpoint pathology are all executed by one coordinated team — giving sponsors a single, accountable partner from study launch to final report.

Workflow of LNCaP / LNCaP-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Construction

Construction follows the published orthotopic xenograft methodology: luciferase-labeled LNCaP cells are expanded under authenticated conditions, prepared in a minimal-volume suspension, surgically inoculated into the prostate of immunodeficient mice, and then monitored through serial imaging and serum-PSA sampling. The work is organized into the following stages.

1. Cell authentication and banking: LNCaP or LNCaP-luc cells are verified by STR profiling, confirmed mycoplasma-free, and expanded into low-passage working banks under standardized RPMI-1640 culture conditions.
2. Cell harvest and formulation: Healthy cultures are harvested, counted and viability-checked, then resuspended at 1 × 10⁶ cells per 10 μL in serum-free RPMI-1640 and kept on ice so the cells remain viable until the moment of implantation.
3. Anesthesia and surgical exposure: Male immunodeficient mice are anesthetized with isoflurane; a lower abdominal midline incision externalizes the bladder and prostate, exposing the anterior lobe for inoculation.
4. Orthotopic implantation: The 10 μL cell suspension is slowly deposited into the anterior prostate lobe using a precooled fine syringe, with the needle held briefly after injection to limit reflux and ensure consistent tumor take.
5. Closure and post-operative recovery: The prostate and bladder are repositioned, the abdominal wall and skin are sutured, and animals receive analgesia with close post-surgical monitoring until full recovery.
6. Engraftment verification and serial monitoring: Luciferin is administered intraperitoneally and bioluminescence is acquired to confirm tumor establishment; imaging repeats on a weekly cadence, while serum PSA is sampled in parallel as a complementary biomarker.
7. Intervention and endpoint analysis: Experimental arms — including castration or medical androgen ablation, anti-androgen dosing, and combination regimens — proceed per study design; endpoints integrate caliper and imaging measurements, serum-PSA kinetics, necropsy, ex vivo organ bioluminescence, and histopathological assessment (H&E with AR, PSA, and Ki67 immunohistochemistry).

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

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

Alfa Cytology has conducted preclinical programs on the LNCaP / LNCaP-luc orthotopic platform spanning hormone-therapy evaluation, post-ablation relapse monitoring, imaging-contrast assessment, and combination treatment strategies. In these programs, orthotopically established LNCaP-luc tumors were tracked longitudinally by in vivo bioluminescence alongside serum-PSA measurements, and comprehensive endpoint analyses were delivered to support sponsor decision-making. Study-specific datasets can be shared upon request.

Why Choose Alfa Cytology?

Alfa Cytology brings together hormone-therapy modeling expertise, microsurgical precision, and multimodal biomarker analytics to deliver LNCaP / LNCaP-luc orthotopic studies that are reproducible, well documented, and tailored to each sponsor’s scientific question.

• Deep, hands-on experience with androgen-responsive xenografts, including castration, anti-androgen, and relapse-emergence study designs.
• A single integrated team managing cell banking, surgery, imaging, serum-PSA analytics, and pathology under one quality framework.
• Dual quantitative readouts — serial in vivo bioluminescence plus circulating PSA — for robust, translationally grounded efficacy assessment.
• Flexible scheduling of androgen manipulations and dosing regimens to match each compound’s mechanism and development stage.
• Clear, milestone-driven communication with transparent reporting and rapid scientific responses throughout the study.

Contact Us

If your prostate cancer program calls for a rigorously characterized, androgen-responsive orthotopic model, Alfa Cytology is ready to support you. Reach out to us to discuss your compound, study design, and endpoint strategy, or contact us today to request a customized proposal and quotation for the LNCaP / LNCaP-luc orthotopic mouse model service.

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