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Updated: Mar 26, 2026
Establishment of a Primary Culture of Patient-derived Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Published on: April 11, 2018
Biological characterization of soft tissue sarcomas
Takuma Hayashi1, Akiko Horiuchi1, Kenji Sano1
11 Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Nagano, Japan ; 2 Promoting Business using Advanced Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo, Japan ; 3 Sigma-Aldrich Collaboration Laboratory, Rehovot 76100, Israel ; 4 Horiuchi Ladies Clinic, Nagano, Japan ; 5 Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shinshu University Hospital, Nagano, Japan ; 6 Department of Pathology, Keio University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan ; 7 The International Human Epigenome Consortium (IHEC) and CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Saitama, Japan ; 8 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan ; 9 The Cancer System Laboratory, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan ; 10 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Abstract:
Soft tissue sarcomas are neoplastic malignancies that typically arise in tissues of mesenchymal origin. The identification of novel molecular mechanisms leading to mesenchymal transformation and the establishment of new therapies and diagnostic biomarker has been hampered by several critical factors. First, malignant soft tissue sarcomas are rarely observed in the clinic with fewer than 15,000 newly cases diagnosed each year in the United States. Another complicating factor is that soft tissue sarcomas are extremely heterogeneous as they arise in a multitude of tissues from many different cell lineages. The scarcity of clinical materials coupled with its inherent heterogeneity creates a challenging experimental environment for clinicians and scientists. Faced with these challenges, there has been extremely limited advancement in clinical treatment options available to patients as compared to other malignant tumours. In order to glean insight into the pathobiology of soft tissue sarcomas, scientists are now using mouse models whose genomes have been specifically tailored to carry gene deletions, gene amplifications, and somatic mutations commonly observed in human soft tissue sarcomas. The use of these model organisms has been successful in increasing our knowledge and understanding of how alterations in relevant oncogenic and/or tumour suppressive signal cascades, i.e., interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumour protein 53 (TP53) and/or retinoblastoma (RB) pathway directly impact sarcomagenesis. It is the goal of many in the physiological community that the use of several mouse models will serve as powerful in vivo tools for further understanding of sarcomagenesis and potentially identify new diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic strategies against human soft tissue sarcomas.
Insights
Soft tissue sarcomas are rare and diverse cancers. Genetically engineered mouse models are crucial for understanding sarcomagenesis and developing new therapies and biomarkers for these challenging malignancies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Soft tissue sarcomas are rare mesenchymal malignancies, diagnosed in fewer than 15,000 US cases annually.
- Their extreme heterogeneity and scarcity of clinical samples hinder research and therapeutic advancements.
- Limited progress in treatment options necessitates innovative research approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pathobiology of soft tissue sarcomas.
- To utilize genetically engineered mouse models to study sarcomagenesis.
- To identify potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic strategies.
Main Methods:
- Employing mouse models with specific genetic alterations (deletions, amplifications, mutations) found in human sarcomas.
- Analyzing the impact of altered oncogenic and tumor suppressor pathways (e.g., interferon-γ, TP53, RB) on sarcomagenesis.
- Leveraging these in vivo models for in-depth pathobiological insights.
Main Results:
- Mouse models successfully recapitulate key genetic alterations observed in human soft tissue sarcomas.
- These models provide valuable insights into how specific genetic changes drive sarcoma development.
- Understanding these mechanisms is key to advancing sarcoma research.
Conclusions:
- Genetically engineered mouse models are powerful tools for studying soft tissue sarcoma pathobiology.
- These models facilitate the identification of novel diagnostic biomarkers.
- They hold promise for developing effective therapeutic strategies against soft tissue sarcomas.
