Testicular Teratocarcinoma in a Ferret (Mustela putorius furo).

A 7-month-old male domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo) was presented for evaluation of unilateral testicular enlargement. Microscopic examination of the left testicle revealed a neoplasm with differentiation along multiple cell lines (ectoderm, endoderm, mesoderm) including respiratory epithelium, bone and haired skin. A poorly differentiated epithelial component was dispersed throughout the neoplasm with invasion of testicular lymphatics. The animal developed progressive dysuria and was euthanized. At necropsy, metastasis of the poorly differentiated epithelial component was present in the urinary bladder, ureters, prostate gland, pelvic fat, abdominal and thoracic lymph nodes, kidney and lung. This is the first report of a malignant testicular teratoma with widespread metastasis in this species.

Metastatic Ovarian Teratocarcinoma in a Horse.

A 3-year-old Quarter Horse mare presented with an approximate 1-month history of progressive weight loss, anorexia and lethargy that abruptly worsened 48 h before death. Post-mortem examination revealed free flocculent fluid and a large mass within the ventral abdomen that dorsally displaced the caecum and large intestine. An ovarian teratocarcinoma with metastasis to regional lymph nodes was diagnosed histologically. Although benign teratomas are the second most common ovarian neoplasm in equids, reports of malignant teratomas in horses are rare. This report documents an unusual presentation of a rarely reported malignant neoplasm of the reproductive tract in horses.

Ovarian Teratocarcinoma in an Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae): Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Characterization.

A 17-year-old female emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) was presented for clinical evaluation due to a 3-week history of anorexia and progressive weight loss. The emu died after sedation. At necropsy examination, the ovary and the majority of the oviduct were effaced by a multinodular cystic mass and accompanied by 6 l of coelomic effusion. Histopathology revealed a neoplasm composed of well-differentiated, poorly organized tissues derived from ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. Tissues within the neoplasm expressed glial fibrillary acidic protein, desmin and cytokeratins AE1/AE3, respectively, confirming the diagnosis of teratocarcinoma.

"TERATOCARCINOMATOSIS" IN AN EMU (DROMAIUS NOVAEHOLLANDIAE).

An adult female emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) with no previous abnormal clinical signs was found dead in its stall. A postmortem examination revealed carcinomatosis of unknown origin. Histopathology identified the masses as teratomas with malignant transformation by the presence of poorly differentiated tissue and dissemination throughout the coelomic cavity. We propose a new term, "teratocarcinomatosis," for this finding. This is the first case of a reproductive tumor described in an emu and the first case of such marked spread of malignant teratomas in a bird.

A spontaneous teratocarcinoma in the testis of a swiss albino mouse.

A unilateral non-metastatic embryonal carcinoma and teratoma of the testis was observed in a 12-week-old Swiss Albino mouse at the end of a 28-day repeated dose toxicity study. The teratocarcinoma almost completely replaced the parenchyma of the left testis. The tumor was composed of sheets and rosettes of primitive embryonal cells, anaplastic cells, skeletal muscle tissue, sebaceous gland tissue, keratinized stratified squamous epithelium, and ciliated cuboidal epithelium. The histomorphological characteristics of the tumor were reviewed and presented in this report. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of spontaneous teratocarcinoma of testis in the Swiss Albino strain of mice.

Engineered vascular-targeting antibody-interferon-gamma fusion protein for cancer therapy.

A number of cytokines are either approved drugs or are in advanced clinical trials, yet these biopharmaceuticals do not typically localize efficiently in solid tumors and manifest their therapeutic potential at the expense of severe side effects. The targeted delivery of cytokines to solid tumors is a promising avenue for increasing the therapeutic index of these biopharmaceuticals. We engineered a fusion protein between scFv(L19), a human antibody fragment specific to the EDB domain of fibronectin, and a cysteine-free mutant of murine interferon-gamma. The resulting fusion protein was capable of targeting new blood vessels in solid tumors, and the targeting efficiency was strikingly increased in tumor-bearing knockout mice lacking the interferon-gamma receptor. ScFv(L19)-interferon-gamma displayed a strong antitumor effect in both subcutaneous and metastatic murine F9 teratocarcinomas, but was not efficacious as single agent when used to treat C51 and CT26 tumors. The potency of this fusion protein could be substantially enhanced by combination with doxorubicin and other immunocytokines. These findings are of clinical relevance, as the EDB domain is a marker of angiogenesis, with identical sequence in mouse and man, which is abundantly expressed in a variety of aggressive solid tumors but is undetectable in most normal tissues.

WKY/Ztm-ter: a new rat inbred strain on the WKY/Ztm genetic background with congenital teratomas.

We describe a new rat model for teratomas (WKY/Ztm-ter) which arose through a spontaneous mutation in the inbred WKY/Ztm rat strain. When the tumours of the gonads became clinically apparent, affected males were 14 to 224 days of age, whereas the females only developed tumours between days 21 and 63. Tumour incidence is not gender-dependent. However, almost all females develop bilateral tumours, while 50% of the males show unilateral tumours. Histologically, all examined tumours (n = 65) represent partially undifferentiated teratocarcinomas.

Placental teratocarcinoma in a mare with possible metastasis to the foal.

A teratocarcinoma was diagnosed in the amnion of a 5-year-old Arabian mare that delivered a healthy, full-term foal. The foal died at 2.5 months of age as a result of metastasis of an undifferentiated component of the mass. This case is unique because it is the first reported case of placental teratocarcinoma in animals and the malignant component apparently metastasized to the foal resulting in its death.

Extragonadal teratocarcinoma in chimeric mice.

Chimeric mice often are created through the genetic manipulation of the mouse embryo in the process of developing animal models of disease. These mice have variable percentages of their somatic and germ cells derived from the donor embryonic stem cells and host blastocysts. In the development of mouse models deficient in the breast cancer susceptibility gene 2 (Brca2) or the 70-kd heat shock protein (Hsp70-2), 3-4-week-old chimeras developed single or multiple masses composed of both well-differentiated and poorly differentiated tissues derived from all three germ layers. These cases of extragonadal teratocarcinoma, a rarely reported tumor, may be related to the genetic predisposition of the 129/Ola mouse strain used to generate the embryonic stem cells.