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Testing Targeted Therapies in Cancer using Structural DNA Alteration Analysis and Patient-Derived Xenografts
Published on: July 25, 2020
A Genomically and Clinically Annotated Patient-Derived Xenograft Resource for Preclinical Research in Non-Small Cell
Xing Yi Woo1, Anuj Srivastava1, Philip C Mack2
1The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut.
Abstract:
Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models are an effective preclinical in vivo platform for testing the efficacy of novel drugs and drug combinations for cancer therapeutics. Here we describe a repository of 79 genomically and clinically annotated lung cancer PDXs available from The Jackson Laboratory that have been extensively characterized for histopathologic features, mutational profiles, gene expression, and copy-number aberrations. Most of the PDXs are models of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including 37 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and 33 lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) models. Other lung cancer models in the repository include four small cell carcinomas, two large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas, two adenosquamous carcinomas, and one pleomorphic carcinoma. Models with both de novo and acquired resistance to targeted therapies with tyrosine kinase inhibitors are available in the collection. The genomic profiles of the LUAD and LUSC PDX models are consistent with those observed in patient tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas and previously characterized gene expression-based molecular subtypes. Clinically relevant mutations identified in the original patient tumors were confirmed in engrafted PDX tumors. Treatment studies performed in a subset of the models recapitulated the responses expected on the basis of the observed genomic profiles. These models therefore serve as a valuable preclinical platform for translational cancer research.
Significance:
Patient-derived xenografts of lung cancer retain key features observed in the originating patient tumors and show expected responses to treatment with standard-of-care agents, providing experimentally tractable and reproducible models for preclinical investigations.
Insights
A repository of 79 lung cancer patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) offers a valuable preclinical platform. These extensively characterized models, including non-small cell lung cancer subtypes, retain patient tumor features for drug efficacy testing.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Translational Research
- Genomics
Background:
- Patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) are crucial preclinical models for cancer therapeutics.
- Lung cancer research requires well-characterized models that reflect patient tumor heterogeneity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a repository of 79 genomically and clinically annotated lung cancer PDXs.
- To highlight the utility of these PDX models for preclinical drug testing and translational research.
Main Methods:
- Characterization of 79 lung cancer PDXs for histopathology, mutational profiles, gene expression, and copy-number aberrations.
- Genomic profiling of PDX models and comparison with patient tumor data (The Cancer Genome Atlas).
- Confirmation of clinically relevant mutations and recapitulation of treatment responses in PDX models.
Main Results:
- The repository contains 79 lung cancer PDXs, predominantly non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) subtypes (37 LUAD, 33 LUSC).
- PDX models exhibit genomic profiles consistent with patient tumors and retain key mutations.
- Models with both de novo and acquired resistance to targeted therapies are available.
Conclusions:
- The characterized lung cancer PDX repository provides a robust platform for preclinical drug efficacy studies.
- These models accurately recapitulate patient tumor characteristics and treatment responses, facilitating translational research.
- The availability of diverse PDX models, including resistant phenotypes, supports the development of novel cancer therapeutics.
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