Surgical Procedure for Implantation of Human Tumor Tissue into the Epithelium-Free Mammary Fat Pad of Immunocompromised Mice to Generate Patient-Derived Xenografts (PDX)

Abstract

Implantation of cancerous tissue obtained from patient biopsies or surgical procedures to create patient-derived xenograft models (PDX) has greatly enhanced the ability of scientists and physicians to perform translational research involving pre-clinical testing. PDX models are more representative of patient cancer tumors than traditional cell lines as they retain the three-dimensional architecture of the tumor, and are genomically, transcriptomically, and proteomically analogous. These models can be used for a variety of experiments to evaluate response of tumors to experimental therapeutic agents and to aid in the elucidation of response and resistance mechanisms of existing therapies. Orthotopic transplantation of breast cancer tissue into the mammary fat pad has been proven to be the most robust method of establishing breast cancer PDX models. Here we describe the procedure for implanting patient tumor tissue, or existing PDX tissue, into the mammary fat pad of immunocompromised mice, with notes, where necessary, for transplantation of normal or preneoplastic tissue.