How inclusive are cell lines in preclinical engineered cancer models?

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Translational Research

Background:

• Cancer disparities are driven by diverse factors, necessitating the inclusion of biological variables in research.
• Sex as a biological variable is increasingly incorporated into preclinical cancer studies.
• Genetic ancestry, vital for cancer treatment, is often overlooked in preclinical research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the critical need for integrating genetic ancestry into preclinical cancer research.
• To emphasize the role of genetic ancestry in 3D in vitro cancer models for predicting therapeutic outcomes.
• To advocate for the conscious inclusion of genetic ancestry in study designs for equitable cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

• Review of current preclinical cancer research methodologies, including 3D in vitro models (spheroids, organoids, xenografts).
• Analysis of the cellular origins of these models (cell lines, patient samples).
• Examination of the impact of variable inclusion on therapeutic outcome prediction.

Main Results:

• Preclinical models often lack explicit consideration of genetic ancestry, limiting their translatability.
• Existing 3D in vitro systems offer opportunities to incorporate diverse genetic backgrounds.
• Failure to account for genetic ancestry in preclinical studies can exacerbate cancer outcome disparities.

Conclusions:

• Conscious inclusion of genetic ancestry in preclinical cancer tissue engineering is essential.
• Incorporating genetic ancestry can enhance the predictive power of in vitro models for diverse patient groups.
• Addressing genetic ancestry in preclinical research is key to developing more effective and equitable cancer therapeutics.