Murine L1210 and P388 Leukemias

Abstract

Mouse leukemia models were a central component of the initial drug discovery programs employed by the Division of Cancer Treatment (DCT) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) during the early 1960s and 1970s. The L1210 and P388 leukemias, developed in 1948 (1) and 1955 (2), respectively, played a major role in both screening and detailed evaluations of candidate anticancer agents. Today, 40 yr later, these models are still used to evaluate anticancer activity, although at a greatly reduced level, and to study mechanisms of drug resistance. This chapter reviews their past contributions, updates their present role in the evaluation of anticancer drugs, and summarizes data for the drug sensitivity of these two leukemias and various drug-resistant P388 sublines to clinically useful drugs.