CIT tumor lines: A series of immunogenic murine cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cell lines derived from chemical carcinogenesis.
Publication Title
JID Innov
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-1-2026
Keywords
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma; Immune checkpoint inhibitor; Mouse models of cancer; Tumor immunology; Tumor neoantigen.; oregon; chiles; ppmc
Abstract
Immunotherapy is widely used to treat advanced-stage skin cancer, but it is effective for only approximately half of patients with skin cancer. To overcome current barriers, preclinical mouse models that faithfully recapitulate the genetics, mutation burdens, and neoantigen patterns of specific human tumor types are essential. However, while many models exist for melanoma, there are few syngeneic murine models of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, which is responsible for nearly as many deaths as melanoma each year. Here, we describe a series of 11 cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma tumor lines, the carcinogen-induced tumor (CIT) lines, syngeneic to the FVB strain, that address this need. The CIT lines were established from skin carcinomas induced by 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate treatment and harbor genetic drivers and mutational burdens that recapitulate key features of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Each CIT line gives rise to tumors with a consistent immune infiltration pattern, ranging from T cell-rich "hot" tumors to T cell-poor "cold" tumors. Hot CIT lines exhibit partial responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors, and we have identified two neoantigens present in an immunotherapy-responsive CIT line. The CIT lines thus provide a valuable series of preclinical models for studying anti-tumor immune responses and developing strategies to improve immunotherapy efficacy in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma.
Area of Special Interest
Cancer
Specialty/Research Institute
Oncology
Specialty/Research Institute
Dermatology
DOI
10.1016/j.xjidi.2026.100477
