Decontamination of human xenotransplantable tumor with mouse hepatitis virus by implantation in nude rat: a case report.

: A human tumor xenograft contaminated with mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) was implanted in a nude rat in order to decontaminate the tumor line. The decontamination failed in the first trial, but succeeded in the second trial. The difference between the two trials was the duration of implantation of the tumor in the nude rat, i.e., 12 days in the first and 24 days in the second trial. Duration of implantation might be a factor in the decontamination of transplantable tumors infected with MHV by passaging in the nude rat.