Renca / Renca-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Service for Renal Cancer

The Renca / Renca-luc orthotopic mouse model of renal cancer grows murine renal tumor cells beneath the capsule of the kidney in immunocompetent BALB/c hosts, combining an organ-authentic tumor microenvironment with spontaneous lung and liver metastasis that closely parallel human disease progression. From authenticated cell banks and subcapsular implantation surgery to weekly luciferase-based imaging, metastasis staging and tumor-immune profiling, Alfa Cytology delivers complete Renca / Renca-luc orthotopic study programs configured around each sponsor’s mechanism and decision point—exclusively within preclinical research.

Overview of Renca / Renca-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model for Renal Cancer

Renca is a murine renal carcinoma line syngeneic in BALB/c mice, originally isolated from a spontaneous renal cortical adenocarcinoma that arose in a male BALB/cCr mouse. The cells grow as adherent epithelial monolayers with a doubling time of roughly 24 hours in vitro and are highly tumorigenic in vivo. Critically, the parental tumor and its derived cell line reproduce a defining feature of human renal cell carcinoma: unchecked progression with spontaneous metastasis to the lung and liver. Renca is also notable for lacking expression of the transforming growth factor-beta type II receptor, a molecular quirk that has made it a recurring tool in studies of TGF-β signaling, tumor immunity and therapeutic resistance.

Fig 1. Parallel in vivo progression schemes of parental GFP Renca via orthotopic implant (KPT/K-LM) vs tail vein injection (T-LM) for transcriptomic dissection of RCC metastasis. (Cooley, Lindsay S., et al., 2021)

Implanted into the subcapsular space of the kidney, Renca cells engage genuine renal stroma and vasculature and generate tumors whose growth, dissemination and treatment response more faithfully reflect the organ context than flank implants. The Renca-luc derivative, generated by lentiviral introduction of firefly luciferase, emits detectable bioluminescence as early as the first day after implantation and permits weekly, non-invasive tracking of primary tumor burden and occult metastatic lesions without altering in vitro behavior or in vivo growth. Immunologically, established Renca tumors are strongly suppressive: myeloid-derived suppressor cells dominate the infiltrate while CD8+ T cells and NK cells are scarce, and T cells that are present display high levels of PD-1, TIM-3 and LAG-3. Single-agent checkpoint blockade therefore shows only marginal benefit, whereas radiation and rational combinations—for example mTOR inhibition plus PD-L1 blockade—have demonstrated meaningful anti-tumor synergy in this setting, making the model a preferred venue for preclinical combination immunotherapy, antiangiogenic and metastasis-focused research.

Cell Line Information: Renca / Renca-luc

Renca and its luciferase-tagged counterpart Renca-luc share the same BALB/c genetic background and disease-relevant metastatic behavior; the reporter line additionally stably expresses firefly luciferase for optical imaging. Key characteristics are summarized below.

Our Services

Backstopped by in vivo oncology specialists and integrated imaging, surgery and pathology workflows, Alfa Cytology shapes every Renca / Renca-luc orthotopic engagement to the sponsor’s scientific question—tuning cell dose, implantation site, randomization by bioluminescence signal and endpoint panels so that each study yields decisive, publication-quality preclinical evidence.

Workflow of Renca / Renca-luc Orthotopic Mouse Model Construction

Building the Renca / Renca-luc orthotopic model is a refined survival-surgery workflow performed under inhalation anesthesia with aseptic technique, scheduled analgesia and close post-operative observation in line with institutional animal-care standards. The process typically unfolds in the following stages:

1. Cell line qualification: Renca or Renca-luc vials are mycoplasma-tested and identity-confirmed; reporter cells are additionally verified for uniform, stable luciferase expression before expansion.
2. Animal preparation: BALB/c mice (typically 6–8 weeks old) are acclimatized, health-screened and assigned to groups by body weight prior to surgery.
3. Anesthesia and asepsis: mice are anesthetized with isoflurane, the surgical flank is clipped and disinfected, and sterile instruments are used throughout the procedure.
4. Surgical exposure: a small flank incision is made, and the kidney is gently exteriorized onto sterile gauze to expose the renal capsule under magnification.
5. Subcapsular inoculation: a defined number of Renca / Renca-luc cells (commonly 1 × 10⁴ in 20–30 µL PBS, with or without Matrigel) is injected beneath the renal capsule with a fine needle, raising a discreet subcapsular bleb.
6. Repositioning, closure and analgesia: the kidney is returned to the abdomen, the muscle and skin layers are closed with absorbable sutures and wound clips, and analgesics such as buprenorphine or meloxicam are administered on schedule until recovery.
7. Longitudinal monitoring: tumor burden and metastasis are tracked by weekly bioluminescence imaging (D-luciferin, IVIS) for Renca-luc, complemented by body-weight measurement three times weekly and daily clinical observation; ultrasound or MRI can be added for anatomical confirmation.
8. Endpoint and analysis: at study termination the tumor-bearing kidney is excised and tumor weight determined against the contralateral kidney, tumor dimensions are recorded for volume calculation, lungs and liver are inspected for metastasis, and tissues are processed for histopathology, immunohistochemistry, flow-cytometric immune profiling and cytokine analysis.

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

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

Alfa Cytology curates a growing portfolio of preclinical case studies on the Renca / Renca-luc orthotopic platform, encompassing establishment-phase optimization of implantation dose, longitudinal bioluminescence tracking of primary renal tumors, combination regimens spanning checkpoint blockade, tyrosine kinase and mTOR inhibition, and systematic lung and liver metastasis evaluation with matched immune-phenotyping. Representative materials—including imaging series, tumor growth trajectories and endpoint summaries—are available on request and are updated as additional programs conclude.

Why Choose Alfa Cytology?

Programs run with Alfa Cytology gain an execution partner rather than a vendor, with model-specific know-how embedded at every stage:

• A seasoned orthotopic surgery group practiced in fast, high-survival subcapsular implantation.
• Authenticated Renca and stably luciferase-labeled Renca-luc cells ready for immediate study start.
• Non-invasive bioluminescence that supports signal-based randomization and within-animal longitudinal readouts.
• An immunocompetent BALB/c setting faithful to human renal cancer, including spontaneous lung and liver metastasis.
• A modular endpoint menu from efficacy and metastasis staging to histopathology, IHC, flow cytometry and cytokines.
• Model-aware study design that anticipates MDSC-dominated kinetics and plans combinations accordingly.
• Responsive, single-point project communication with milestone-based progress updates.
• A strictly non-clinical focus, with all work performed and reported as preclinical research.

Contact Us

If the Renca / Renca-luc orthotopic renal cancer model fits your next preclinical study, contact us to share your targets, timeline and preferred endpoints. The Alfa Cytology team will return a tailored plan covering model setup, imaging cadence and analysis strategy—reach out today and put your program on solid ground.

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