Patient-derived xenograft mouse models: A high fidelity tool for individualized medicine

Abstract

Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models involve the direct transfer of fresh human tumor samples into immunodeficient mice following surgical resection or other medical operations. Gene expression in tumors may be maintained by serial passages of tumors from mouse to mouse. These models aid research into tumor biology and pharmacology without manual manipulation of cell cultures in vitro. and are widely used in individualized cancer therapy/translational medicine, drug development and coclinical trials. PDX models exhibit higher predictive values for clinical outcomes than cell line-derived xenograft models and genetically engineered mouse models. However, PDX models are associated with certain challenges in clinical application. The present study reviewed current collections of PDX models and assessed the challenges and future directions of this field.

Keywords: cell line-derived xenografts; genetically engineered mouse models; individualized cancer therapy; patient-derived xenograft mouse models.

Figure 1.

Concept of individualized therapy, drug development and coclinical trials. (A) Tumor graft expansion: PDXs generated from multiple patients or a single patient. (B) Overall preclinical analysis. (C) Preclinical testing of anticancer agents. (D) Establishment of a database to integrate genomic and therapeutic analyses. (E) In coclinical trials, an in vivo model to research suspicious resistance mechanisms in cancer cells may be developed. PDX, patient-derived xenograft.