Establishment and Characterization of New Preclinical Models

Tumor tissues that are surgically removed can be used for much more than just diagnosis and drug screening. These samples can also be processed into in vitro models for the creation of cell lines and patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDTX) models that mimic the properties of the original tumor tissue.

Once created, these immortalized cancer cell lines and PDTX models can serve as the foundation for new drug treatments, can help identify novel genes in cancer and can help contribute to a better understanding of certain subtypes of cancer.

Our lab has access to hundreds of patient tumor samples from which we're trying to establish cell lines and PDTX models. The models created in our lab adhere to a higher standard of validity, as Dr. Copland and his research team discovered that many established cell lines are actually cross-contaminated by another more aggressive cell line.

Because of this discovery, the cell line and PDTX models that we produce in our lab can be directly compared with and DNA fingerprinted to the original patient tissue.

In collaboration with clinicians around the country, our lab is creating validated cell models and PDTX models that are paving the way for better cancer treatment in the future.