5TGM1 Cell I.V. Injection Animal Model

C57BL/KaLwRij mice for i.v. injection of syngeneic 5TGM1-luc mouse MM cells were purchased from Harlan Laboratories, Inc. Many aspects of human MM are faithfully replicated in this mouse model of MM.^{13, 14, 15} 5TGM1 cells constitutively expressing luciferase and co-cultured as described were injected into 6-week-old, male, C57BL/KaLwRij mice via lateral tail veins. Serum was collected biweekly, and the levels of IgG2bκ (a soluble marker of 5TGM1 cells) were measured by ELISA. Weekly bioluminescent imaging also noninvasively tracked the extent of bone-homing and tumor growth in vivo.¹⁶ All animal studies were performed in accordance with NIH guidelines and approved by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.