PA-1 / PA-1-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Service for Ovarian Cancer

The PA-1 / PA-1-luc orthotopic mouse model for ovarian cancer offers a rare window into a human germ cell–derived malignancy growing in its native anatomical niche, combining orthotopic tumor take with whole-body bioluminescence quantification in the same animal. Alfa Cytology makes this technically demanding model accessible as a complete preclinical service — covering authenticated cell supply, surgical orthotopic implantation, scheduled bioluminescence imaging, treatment arms, and full terminal workups — so your ovarian cancer program proceeds with reliable, traceable in vivo data from day one.

Overview of PA-1 / PA-1-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model for Ovarian Cancer

PA-1 occupies a distinctive position among ovarian cancer research tools: it is a human teratocarcinoma cell line, established in 1980 from ascitic fluid collected during recurrence of a malignant ovarian teratoma in a pediatric patient. Unlike the epithelial lines that dominate the field, PA-1 retains features of pluripotent germ cell–derived cells — including expression of the embryonic antigen PCC4, the capacity to form embryoid bodies under low-serum or low-density conditions, and a near-diploid karyotype carrying a single balanced t(15;20) translocation. The line carries an activated N-ras oncogene, proliferates with a doubling time of roughly 26 hours once selected to homogeneous late-passage cultures, and has served for decades as a reference system in carcinogenesis, apoptosis, and tumor–extracellular matrix studies.

Fig 1. Luteolin inhibits the tumor growth of PA-1 cells in vivo. (Liu, Teng, et al., 2019)

In mouse work, PA-1 is solidly tumorigenic: following orthotopic placement into the ovarian bursa or dissemination-directed intraperitoneal inoculation, the cells establish invasive tumors in immunodeficient mice and progress in a manner that mirrors the peritoneal biology of ovarian malignancy. The PA-1-luc derivative adds a firefly luciferase reporter, permitting tumor burden and treatment response to be measured serially by bioluminescence after D-luciferin injection — a decisive advantage over endpoint-only subcutaneous xenografts, which neither reflect the true tumor microenvironment nor allow intra-animal longitudinal comparison of therapeutic effects.

Cell Line Information: PA-1 / PA-1-luc

Key attributes of the PA-1 parental line and its luciferase-engineered counterpart are consolidated below, drawing on public cell bank records and the original characterization literature.

Our Services

Alfa Cytology operates the PA-1 / PA-1-luc orthotopic platform as a turnkey preclinical offering, pairing meticulous surgical implantation with disciplined imaging schedules and complete endpoint histology — so your compound evaluation moves from study design to a decision-ready report without the operational burden of standing up an in vivo program internally.

Workflow of PA-1 / PA-1-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Construction

Building a dependable PA-1 / PA-1-luc orthotopic study hinges on disciplined execution at every handoff — from cell qualification through surgical implantation to imaging and necropsy. The sequence below outlines how the model is constructed and operated within a standardized quality framework.

1. Cell Line Resuscitation and Pre-Release Testing: PA-1 or PA-1-luc vials are expanded under defined culture conditions and released only after STR profiling confirms identity, mycoplasma testing is negative, and luciferase signal of the reporter line is validated in vitro.
2. Study Animal Preparation: Female immunodeficient mice (athymic nude or NSG, 6–8 weeks old) are received, health-checked, and acclimatized for a minimum of seven days with daily observation before any surgical step.
3. Orthotopic or Disseminated-Disease Implantation: A suspension of 1 × 10⁶ PA-1 / PA-1-luc cells in a small PBS or Matrigel/PBS volume is microinjected into the ovarian bursa under a dissecting microscope for the orthotopic format; an intraperitoneal inoculation route is applied where a peritoneal carcinomatosis phenotype is the study objective.
4. Post-Operative Recovery and Engraftment Confirmation: Mice recover under warming with analgesia per approved protocols, and initial bioluminescence imaging after D-luciferin injection confirms successful tumor establishment and provides the baseline signal for subsequent quantification.
5. Randomization into Cohorts: Animals are allocated to control and treatment groups using baseline photon flux, ensuring comparable starting tumor burdens across arms before any test article is introduced.
6. Serial Imaging and Health Surveillance: Bioluminescence is acquired on a fixed cadence (typically once weekly) with locked acquisition parameters, while body weight, abdominal distension, and clinical scores are recorded to track both tumor progression and tolerability.
7. Test Article Dosing and Response Measurement: Compounds are administered per the sponsor-approved regimen (intraperitoneal, intravenous, or oral routes supported), and treatment effect is derived from longitudinal changes in photon flux, time to ascites onset, and survival-style surrogate endpoints.
8. Terminal Procedures and Pathological Readout: At predefined or humane endpoints, mice are euthanized; primary ovarian tumors are excised and weighed, peritoneal nodules are mapped and counted, ascites volume is recorded, and tissues are processed for H&E and immunohistochemical assessment.

Fig 2. PA-1 / PA-1-luc orthotopic mouse model construction workflow.

Case Study-PA-1 / PA-1-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Development

Alfa Cytology has executed the PA-1 / PA-1-luc orthotopic model in preclinical programs supporting early-stage therapeutic candidates, in which luciferase-tagged cells were implanted in immunodeficient mice and disease course was followed by serial bioluminescence across multiple treatment arms. Deliverables in such engagements typically integrate photon-flux growth curves, gross pathology mapping, and histological confirmation into one consolidated report, providing clients with a clear basis for pipeline prioritization. Specific datasets remain confidential and are disclosed only under suitable agreements — please reach out to us to request an anonymized case summary or to scope a study design aligned with your molecule.

Why Choose Alfa Cytology?

Few CROs maintain genuine hands-on capability with orthotopic germ cell tumor models, where surgical precision and imaging discipline directly determine data quality. Alfa Cytology brings both to the PA-1 / PA-1-luc platform, wrapped in a preclinical service model designed around reproducibility, transparency, and scientific partnership.

• Dedicated orthotopic surgical expertise with consistent, high-penetrance implantation outcomes across nude and NSG strains.
• Pre-study cell line release covering STR identity, mycoplasma clearance, and functional luciferase verification for reporter lines.
• Standardized bioluminescence acquisition with locked exposure settings, delivering internally comparable longitudinal datasets.
• Adaptable model formats — intrabursal orthotopic growth or intraperitoneal dissemination — selectable to match the biological question.
• Terminal packages that unify tumor mapping, nodule counts, ascites measurement, and H&E/IHC staining in a single coherent deliverable.
• Strictly preclinical scope with confidential handling, milestone reporting, and a named study scientist as your single point of contact.

Contact Us

If your ovarian cancer program needs an orthotopic model with both biological authenticity and quantitative imaging readouts, the PA-1 / PA-1-luc platform deserves a closer look — and Alfa Cytology is ready to walk you through feasibility, timelines, and study design. Contact us today to request a tailored quotation, or reach out to us to schedule a technical discussion with our modeling team.

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