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Ann Thorac Surg 1999;68:1761
© 1999 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Invited Commentaries

John R. Benfield, MDa

a 11611 Terryhill Place, Los Angeles, CA 90049, USA

Invited commentary

There is skepticism regarding the relevance of lung cancer studies in animal models to lung cancers in humans. This issue is compounded by the wide range of biologic behavior of various types of lung cancer. Cancers in humans range from typical carcinoids to undifferentiated cancers of small and large cell varieties. Experimental tumors in animals range from pulmonary adenomas in mice to focally originating canine and hamster lung cancers that metastasize in patterns like human lung carcinomas. Despite these and other grounds for skepticism, animal models are imperative for preclinical investigation of new therapeutic approaches as elegantly illustrated by this paper.

An important strength and original approach in this report is the in vivo-in vitro correlation that was investigated. In vitro studies of cell lines frequently tired and over used, often do not yield clinically relevant information. Indeed, the discovery of an animal model of lung cancer that has a reliable and reproducible in vitro correlate would by itself be an important contribution.

Studies using hamsters and dogs would significantly augment information from the relatively popular Lewis Lung Carcinoma. Expense would allow canine models to be used only very selectively, but much can be done inexpensively using inbred and outbred hamsters and lung cancer cells propagated in nude mice. As the authors continue their important investigations of gene therapy, I would suggest that they consider the use of other animal models [1], and I encourage them to continue the in vitro-in vivo correlative approach.

References

  1. Benfield J.R., Malkinson A.M., Schuller H.M., Sunday M.E. Animal models of lung cancer. In: Kane M.A., Bunn P.A., Jr, eds. Biology of lung cancer. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1998:247-293.




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