OPM-2 / OPM-2-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Service for Multiple Myeloma (MM)

The OPM-2 / OPM-2-luc orthotopic mouse model for multiple myeloma engrafts a t(4;14)-positive, FGFR3-fusion human myeloma into the bone marrow of immunodeficient mice, where disseminated disease, paraprotein secretion, and osteolytic bone loss can be quantified longitudinally. Operating exclusively in preclinical oncology, Alfa Cytology delivers this xenograft platform end to end: authenticated OPM-2 / OPM-2-luc cell supply, tail-vein orthotopic inoculation into NOD/SCID or NSG hosts, scheduled imaging paired with serum human λ light chain monitoring, and terminal bone microCT and marrow flow cytometry.

Overview of OPM-2 / OPM-2-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model for Multiple Myeloma (MM)

OPM-2 is a human multiple myeloma line with a genotype that mirrors one of the disease’s most clinically important subtypes. Established in 1982 from the peripheral blood of a 56-year-old woman with myeloma in terminal leukemic phase, and distributed by DSMZ as ACC-50, the line carries the t(4;14)(p16;q32.3) translocation that fuses IGH to FGFR3 and MMSET—the cytogenetic lesion found in roughly 15–20% of myeloma patients, which confers adverse prognosis and sensitivity to proteasome inhibitor-based regimens. A deletion on chromosome 13 removes RB1, and MYC-altering aberrations contribute to an aggressive phenotype; the karyotype is hypertriploid to near-tetraploid with a modal count near 78. The cells are round to polygonal suspension cells, positive for CD38 and CD138, express cytoplasmic Igλ, and secrete a human λ light chain that serves as a serum biomarker. OPM-2 is GPRC5D-positive, making it a documented target cell for GPRC5D×CD3 bispecific antibody programs, and it is comparatively resistant to bortezomib—an asset when modeling refractory disease.

Fig 1. OPM2-xenograft mouse model showing MOCK-CAR, BCMA-CAR and BCMA-CST6-CAR treatment groups with bioluminescence images at days 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35, where MOCK-CAR mice developed intense whole-body signals (up to 8.0×10⁶ luminescence) while BCMA-CAR and BCMA-CST6-CAR suppressed OPM2 tumor progression, accompanied by serum CST6 elevation, reduced serum calcium and PTHrP in the BCMA-CST6-CAR group indicating osteolytic lesion protection. (Sun, Fumou, et al., 2024)

In vivo, OPM-2 supports a full menu of formats. Intravenous inoculation of 1 × 10⁶ cells into sublethally irradiated NSG mice produces a disseminated model with tumor dissemination, paraplegia, and osteolytic bone disease at roughly eight weeks, with low inter-animal variability and robust marrow infiltration; larger 1 × 10⁷ inocula into 200-cGy-irradiated NOD/SCID mice have powered landmark oral-dosing studies in which the BET inhibitor I-BET762 reduced serum human λ light chain, cleared bone marrow CD38⁺ tumor cells, and delivered a significant survival advantage. Subcutaneous formats at 10⁶ (Matrigel-assisted) to 10⁷ cells support rapid pharmacology screens, with validated responses to temsirolimus (ED50 near 2 mg/kg) and liposomal bortezomib; intraperitoneal injection yields a long-latency paraprotein-producing model. Luciferase-tagged derivatives (OPM-2-luc, GFP/luc formats) enable whole-animal bioluminescence tracking of skeletal burden, with ex vivo imaging and microCT confirming osteolytic lesions. Figure 1 outlines how this orthotopic system is assembled and monitored.

Cell Line Information: OPM-2 / OPM-2-luc

OPM-2’s t(4;14) genotype gives it outsized relevance in modern myeloma drug development. The defining attributes are summarized below.

Our Services

An OPM-2 / OPM-2-luc engagement with Alfa Cytology is run as one continuous program: slow-growth-aware cell banking, route-matched orthotopic inoculation into irradiated NOD/SCID or NSG recipients, IVIS imaging paired with serum λ light chain curves, dosing per the client’s schedule, and a terminal package combining microCT bone analysis, bone marrow CD38⁺ flow quantification, and histomorphometry.

Workflow of OPM-2 / OPM-2-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Construction

Building an OPM-2 or OPM-2-luc orthotopic myeloma model blends irradiation-assisted engraftment, slow-growth-aware culture, and dual imaging-plus-paraprotein readouts. The workflow below reflects the standard execution of this platform.

1. Cell Bank Verification and Expansion: OPM-2 or OPM-2-luc stocks are authenticated by STR profiling and mycoplasma testing, then expanded slowly in RPMI-1640-based medium (20% FBS during the first week after thawing), maintained at 0.3–0.7 × 10⁶ cells/mL to protect viability.
2. Luciferase Calibration (OPM-2-luc Only): Signal output per cell is verified in vitro, with CD138⁺ identity confirmed by flow cytometry before in vivo use.
3. Host Conditioning and Randomization: Seven- to eleven-week-old female NOD/SCID or NSG mice receive sublethal irradiation (150–240 cGy) to facilitate human cell engraftment, then are randomized by body weight under approved protocols.
4. Orthotopic Tail-Vein Inoculation: A single-cell suspension (1 × 10⁶ cells for the standard NSG format, up to 1 × 10⁷ for accelerated NOD/SCID systemic models) is delivered via the tail vein so that myeloma cells home to bone marrow and skeleton.
5. Engraftment Monitoring with Dual Readouts: Scheduled whole-animal BLI after D-luciferin tracks skeletal burden, while serial serum samples are assayed for human λ light chain; a landmark BET-inhibitor study began dosing on day 15, once disease was established.
6. Treatment Administration: Test agents—proteasome inhibitors, FGFR3-pathway agents, BET bromodomain inhibitors, bispecific antibodies with human effector cells, or nanomedicines—are dosed orally, intraperitoneally, or intravenously per the client’s regimen.
7. Surveillance and Survival Endpoint: Daily monitoring tracks body weight and neurological status; paraplegia, progressive weight loss, or welfare criteria define the survival endpoint for Kaplan–Meier analysis.
8. Terminal Bone and Organ Analysis: At endpoint, vertebrae and long bones are analyzed by microCT (trabecular bone volume, osteolytic lesion counts) and histomorphometry (osteoclast/osteoblast quantification); bone marrow is profiled by flow cytometry for human CD38⁺ cells, and spleen and liver are imaged ex vivo.

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

Case Study-OPM-2 / OPM-2-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Development

Alfa Cytology has executed preclinical programs on the OPM-2 / OPM-2-luc orthotopic platform for clients evaluating FGFR3-pathway and BET-targeted agents, modeling bortezomib-refractory disease, benchmarking GPRC5D-directed bispecifics, and quantifying myeloma bone disease, delivering bioluminescence growth records, serum λ light chain biomarker curves, survival analyses, and microCT-supported bone assessments. As each engagement is configured around the client’s own therapeutic hypothesis, study outlines and representative datasets are available upon request.

Why Choose Alfa Cytology?

OPM-2 studies succeed when irradiation timing, slow culture, and dual readouts are handled as one system rather than three chores. Alfa Cytology’s integrated execution keeps the t(4;14) biology intact and the dataset complete from inoculation to bone analysis.

• Slow-growth-aware OPM-2 / OPM-2-luc banking with thaw-viability management and density discipline.
• Irradiation-assisted engraftment expertise across NOD/SCID and NSG formats with validated latencies.
• Dual burden readouts: IVIS bioluminescence paired with serum human λ light chain ELISA.
• Refractory-disease relevance: documented bortezomib-resistant phenotype for relapsed-MM modeling.
• Terminal microCT, histomorphometry, and marrow CD38⁺ flow quantification in one package.
• A dedicated team owning the study from banking through final data delivery.

Contact Us

Whether the target is FGFR3, epigenetic machinery, or refractory myeloma itself, Alfa Cytology can configure an OPM-2 / OPM-2-luc orthotopic study that answers your specific preclinical question. Contact us today to discuss study design and irradiation/engraftment parameters, or reach out to our team for a customized quotation.

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