Data from: Characterization of a transgenic mouse model exhibiting spontaneous lung adenocarcinomas with a metastatic phenotype

Developing lung cancer in mouse models that display similarities of both
phenotype and genotype will undoubtedly provide further and better
insights into lung tumor biology. Moreover, a high degree of
pathophysiological similarity between lung tumors from mouse models and
their human counterparts will make it possible to use these mouse models
for preclinical tests. Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinomas (OPAs) present the
same symptoms as adenocarcinomas in humans and are caused by a
betaretrovirus. OPAs have served as an exquisite model of carcinogenesis
for human lung adenocarcinomas. In this study, we characterized the
histopathology and genetic profiles of a jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus
(JSRV)-envelope protein (Env) transgenic mouse model with spontaneous lung
tumors, and associations of the genetic profiles with tumor metastasis,
especially the phenomenon of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
Genetic information obtained from an expression array was analyzed using
an ingenuity pathways analysis (IPA) and human disease database
(MalaCards). By careful examination, several novel EMT-related genes were
identified from tumor cells using an RT-qPCR, and these genes also scored
high in MalaCards. We concluded that the JSRV-Env mouse model could serve
as a spontaneous lung adenocarcinoma model with a metastatic phenotype,
which will benefit the study of early-onset and progression of lung
adenocarcinoma. In addition, it can also be a valuable tool for biomarkers
and drug screening, which will be helpful in developing intervention
therapies.