In a syngeneic pancreatic cancer metastasis model, verteporfin (25 mg/kg intraperitoneally, twice weekly for six weeks) reduced liver lesion number, the number of involved organs and metastatic score relative to saline control. The authors reported reductions of 60%, 30% and 50%, respectively. These findings describe this model and regimen and do not establish a YAP-specific mechanism. [3]
Activity varied by model and regimen. In BrafCA; Tyr-CreERT2; Ptenf/f mice, verteporfin at 4 or 6 mg/kg intraperitoneally every other day did not significantly delay melanoma lesion appearance. The paper also reported no significant reduction in terminal tumor volume or YAP/TAZ staining. Terminal collection is inconsistently labeled day 42 in Methods and day 45 in Results/caption; no single terminal day or dose-specific terminal effect is assigned here. [2]
No significant melanoma suppression in a transgenic mouse model
Animal study · BrafCA; Tyr-CreERT2; Ptenf/f mice with induced cutaneous melanoma [2]
Verteporfin did not significantly delay pigmented-lesion appearance or reduce terminal tumor volume relative to DMSO in this model. Tumor YAP/TAZ staining also showed no significant reduction. These are regimen-specific negative results, not evidence that all verteporfin regimens or all YAP-directed interventions lack activity.
Conditions shared by the study groups
- Route
- Intraperitoneal injection
- Frequency
- Every other day
- Treatment course
- Every other day from the first day of melanoma induction until terminal collection; Methods say day 42, Results/Figure 6 say day 45
- Vehicle
- DMSO control; equivalent amount used
- Verteporfin regimens versus DMSO
- Model: BrafCA; Tyr-CreERT2; Ptenf/f mice with induced cutaneous melanoma
- Reported limits: Dose-specific animal group sizes and allocation of the pooled verteporfin terminal-volume/staining data are not explicit in the read main text. Terminal collection day conflicts (42 versus 45) and remains unresolved.
Methods and source locations
Compound reported in the paper: Verteporfin; Compound label in the paper: VP
Reported verteporfin experiments; no equivalence to an A12658 lot, isolated stereoisomer or clinical formulation is established.
Figure 6A-E and caption; Figure 5 timeline; Results: Verteporfin treatment of a mouse model...; Methods: Mouse Verteporfin treatments, immunohistochemistry and densitometry
Time to pigmented-lesion appearance versus DMSO: Daily observation; dose-specific curves at 4 and 6 mg/kg — Figure 6A-E and caption; Figure 5 timeline; Results: Verteporfin treatment of a mouse model...; Methods: Mouse Verteporfin treatments, immunohistochemistry and densitometry
Terminal tumor volume versus DMSO: External caliper volume; normalized to average DMSO volume; Figure 6C pools a verteporfin-treated category; no curve-derived means adopted — Figure 6A-E and caption; Figure 5 timeline; Results: Verteporfin treatment of a mouse model...; Methods: Mouse Verteporfin treatments, immunohistochemistry and densitometry
Terminal YAP/TAZ fluorescence normalized to DAPI: ImageJ densitometry: Results/Figure 6 describe 3 samples, 10 images/sample; Methods describe three independent slides/group. These sampling statements are not treated as animal n. — Figure 6A-E and caption; Figure 5 timeline; Results: Verteporfin treatment of a mouse model...; Methods: Mouse Verteporfin treatments, immunohistochemistry and densitometry
Verteporfin regimens versus DMSO · Figure 6A-E and caption; Figure 5 timeline; Results: Verteporfin treatment of a mouse model...; Methods: Mouse Verteporfin treatments, immunohistochemistry and densitometry
Reduced metastatic burden in a pancreatic cancer mouse model
Animal study · Syngeneic B6.129J mice (2–3 months old, males and females) bearing UNKPC961-Luc pancreatic cancer cells in a splenic liver-metastasis model [3]
Verteporfin treatment was associated with fewer liver lesions, fewer involved abdominal organs and a lower metastatic score than saline control. The authors reported reductions of 60%, 30% and 50%, respectively. This single-drug study does not establish a YAP-specific mechanism.
Conditions shared by the study groups
- Route
- Intraperitoneal injection
- Frequency
- Twice weekly
- Treatment course
- 6 weeks
- Vehicle
- Saline control; drug formulation not specified
- Verteporfin versus saline
- Model: Syngeneic B6.129J mice (2–3 months old, males and females) bearing UNKPC961-Luc pancreatic cancer cells in a splenic liver-metastasis model
- Reported limits: Animal Methods state N = 6 without an explicit per-group allocation statement at that location. Blinded lesion assessment is reported. Drug formulation and a light-protection workflow are not specified in the read main text.
Methods and source locations
Compound reported in the paper: Verteporfin; Compound label in the paper: VP
Reported verteporfin experiments; no equivalence to an A12658 lot, isolated stereoisomer or clinical formulation is established.
Figure 6A-D image/caption; Results: YAP regulates metastasis in PDAC metastatic models in mice; Material and Methods: Chemicals, Animals, Statistics
Liver lesion number, number of affected organs, and abdominal metastatic score versus control: Blinded quantification; metastatic score incorporates lesion number and size in eight abdominal organs. Percentages are author-reported Results values, not recalculated from graph heights. — Figure 6A-D image/caption; Results: YAP regulates metastasis in PDAC metastatic models in mice; Material and Methods: Chemicals, Animals, Statistics
Verteporfin versus saline · Figure 6A-D image/caption; Results: YAP regulates metastasis in PDAC metastatic models in mice; Material and Methods: Chemicals, Animals, Statistics
