Background: Cancer immunoediting is a dynamic process composed of three phases: elimination (EL), equilibrium (EQ) and escape (ES) that encompasses the potential host-protective and tumor-sculpting functions of the immune system throughout tumor development. Animal models are useful tools for studying diseases such as cancer. The present study was designed to characterize the interaction between mammary adenocarcinoma M-406 and CBi, CBi- and CBi/L inbred mice lines.
Results: The mammary adenocarcinoma M-406 developed spontaneously in a CBi mouse. CBi/L and CBi- mice were artificially selected for body conformation from CBi. When CBi mice are s.c. challenged with M-406, tumor growths exponentially in 100% of animals, while in CBi- the tumor growths briefly and then begins a rejection process in 100% of the animals. In CBi/L the growth of the tumor shows the three phases: 51.6% in ES, 18.5% in EQ and 29.8% in EL.
Conclusions: The results obtained support the conclusion that the system M-406 plus the inbred mouse lines CBi, CBi- and CBi/L, is a good murine model to study the process of tumor immunoediting.