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Patient-derived xenografts for childhood solid tumors: a valuable tool to test new drugs and personalize treatments

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Abstract

The use of preclinical models is essential in translational cancer research and especially important in pediatric cancer given the low incidence of each particular type of cancer. Cell line cultures have led to significant advances in cancer biology. However, cell lines have adapted to growth in artificial culture conditions, thereby undergoing genetic and phenotypic changes which may hinder the translational application. Tumor grafts developed in mice from patient tumor tissues, generally known as patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), are interesting alternative approaches to reproducing the biology of the original tumor. This review is focused on highlighting the interest of PDX models in pediatric cancer research and supporting strategies of personalized medicine. This review provides: (1) a description of the background of PDX in cancer, (2) the particular case of PDX in pediatric cancer, (3) how PDX can improve personalized medicine strategies, (4) new methods to increase engraftment, and, finally, (5) concluding remarks.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Ms Christine O’Hara for help with the English version of this manuscript. This work was supported by Grants from Institut Català d’Oncologia (ICO), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI14/00647), Fundació A. BOSCH, and Fundació Amics Joan Petit.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Translational Research in Childhood and Adolescent Cancer, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    P. Zarzosa, N. Navarro, I. Giralt, C. Molist, A. Almazán-Moga, I. Vidal, A. Soriano, M. F. Segura, S. Gallego & J. Roma

  2. Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    R. Hladun & S. Gallego

  3. Chemoresistance and Predicitive Factors Laboratory, Program Against Cancer Therapeutic Resistance (ProCURE), Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Spain

    A. Villanueva

  4. Xenopat S.L. Business Bioincubator Bellvitge Health Science Campus, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908, Barcelona, Spain

    A. Villanueva

Authors
  1. P. Zarzosa
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  2. N. Navarro
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  3. I. Giralt
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  4. C. Molist
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  5. A. Almazán-Moga
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  6. I. Vidal
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  8. M. F. Segura
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  9. R. Hladun
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  10. A. Villanueva
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  12. J. Roma
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Correspondence to J. Roma.

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Zarzosa, P., Navarro, N., Giralt, I. et al. Patient-derived xenografts for childhood solid tumors: a valuable tool to test new drugs and personalize treatments. Clin Transl Oncol 19, 44–50 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-016-1557-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-016-1557-2

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