Fig 2: Histological analysis of RCC primary tumors, and their patient-derived cancer models. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, NRN1 and CXCR4 immunohistochemistry of primary tumor specimens, corresponding patient-derived cancer cell (PDC) spheroid cultures, and their xenograft tumors. Star represents ccRCC tumor portion with eosinophilic cytoplasm. Scale bars, 50 µm.

Fig 3: NRN1 silencing suppresses in vivo growth of RCC-PDC-derived xenograft tumors. (A) Representative images of xenograft tumor-bearing nude mice at time of sacrifice. (B) Volume of xenograft tumors derived from RCC-PDC1 cells treated with siControl (n = 5, red) or siNRN1 #1 (n = 5, blue). (C) Body weights of mice at time of sacrifice. (D) Representative images of hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and NRN1 and CXCR4 IHC staining in dissected xenograft tumors treated with siControl or siNRN1 #1. Scale bars, 50 µm. (E, F) NRN1 (E) and CXCR4 (F) levels in xenograft tumors analyzed by qRT-PCR. Data are shown as mean ± SD, n = 5; *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 by two-sided Student’s t-test. (G) Schematic representation of oncogenic function of NRN1 and CXCR4 in RCC tumors.