Establishment of human tumor xenografts in immunodeficient mice
Abstract
Heterotransplantation of human cancer cells or tumor biopsies into immunodeficient rodents (xenograft models) has, for the past two decades, constituted the major preclinical screen for the development of novel cancer therapeutics. Despite limitations, these models have identified clinically efficacious agents, and remain the 'workhorse' of the pharmaceutical industry. However, if therapeutic approaches to treating tumors according to their molecular characteristics are to be achieved, additional new models of human cancer will be required to represent the genetic diversity that exists within tumor histologies. This protocol details a method for establishing xenografts from primary solid-tumor isolates or cells grown in culture. The procedure relies on immunodeficient mice to provide a host for the establishment of human xenografts. The procedure can be completed in 1-2 h with results being obtained in 1-4 months.
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PDX model systems are valuable in basic science and personalized medicine because they have clinical and molecular features representative of human disease.
“These PDX model systems are of particular value in both basic science and potentially personalized medicine research 180,183,222 as they have clinical and molecular features that are quite representative of the human disease 223,224,225,226 .”
From Osteosarcoma (2022) · cites this paper as [225]
The general methodology of producing PDX models requires multiple in vivo passages, leading to extended model creation times.
“The general methodology of producing PDX models requires multiple in vivo passages, leading to extended model creation times (Morton and Houghton, 2007).”
From Three-dimensional modelling of ovarian cancer: from cell lines to organoids for discovery and personalized medicine (2022) · cites this paper as Morton and Houghton, 2007
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- Authors
- Morton, C. L., & Houghton, P. J.
- Affiliations
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Houghton, Peter J
- Venue
- Nature Protocols
- Published
- 2007-02
- Volume
- 2
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 247-250
- ISSN
- 1750-2799 (ISSN-L)
- 1754-2189
- OpenAlex
- W1998238577
- Cited by
- 489
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 54 · 2019: 45 · 2018: 43 · 2017: 43 · 2016: 30 · 2015: 40 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 33 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 3.53
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature Protocols (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Cells and Metastasis
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Xenotransplantation and immune response
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biotechnology › Cancer Research and Treatments
- Keywords
- human tumor xenografts, immunodeficient mice, xenograft establishment, solid tumors, cancer cell lines, preclinical cancer models, anticancer drug screening
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Humans, Neoplasm Transplantation, Neoplasms, Transplantation, Heterologous, Mice, SCID, Mice
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