The Mouse Tumor Biology Database: A Comprehensive Resource for Mouse Models of Human Cancer

Abstract

Research using laboratory mice has led to fundamental insights into the molecular genetic processes that govern cancer initiation, progression, and treatment response. Although thousands of scientific articles have been published about mouse models of human cancer, collating information and data for a specific model is hampered by the fact that many authors do not adhere to existing annotation standards when describing models. The interpretation of experimental results in mouse models can also be confounded when researchers do not factor in the effect of genetic background on tumor biology. The Mouse Tumor Biology (MTB) database is an expertly curated, comprehensive compendium of mouse models of human cancer. Through the enforcement of nomenclature and related annotation standards, MTB supports aggregation of data about a cancer model from diverse sources and assessment of how genetic background of a mouse strain influences the biological properties of a specific tumor type and model utility. Cancer Res; 77(21); e67-70. ©2017 AACR.

Figure 1

Screen shot of the MTB Home Page. (A) The model summary table is linked to a faceted search interface (to allow further refinement of the search parameters) and to additional PDX data. Other search options on the home page include (B) traditional, web-based search forms, (C) the faceted search interface, (D) an interactive Cancer QTL Viewer, and (E) the graphical Tumor Frequency Grid.