The biology, pathology and immunology of a virus induced rat osteosarcoma. I. Biological behaviour and histopathology.

The biological behaviour and histopathology of an experimental osteosarcoma in rats are described as a model to study the human disease. The tumour was developed by injection of Moloney murine sarcoma virus into the tibial marrow space of three strains of inbred new-born rats. The resulting neoplasm was highly malignant and arose after a short latent period of only 10 days. It was readily maintained in tissue culture and was transplantable to adult rats. The virus induced tumour resembled human osteosarcoma in pattern of growth, tumour osteoid production, reaction of adjacent bony tissues and distribution of metastases, being an excellent model for the study of the interaction between oncogenic viruses and skeletal tissues. The analogies and differences between this and other virus-induced murine tumours and human osteosarcoma are discussed.