A Patient Derived Xenograft (PDX) model is an innovative technique of transplanting fresh tumor tissue directly from a patient’s biopsy or surgical specimen into immune-deficient mice. The engrafted tumor tissue preserves key characteristics of the original patient tumor including genotype, phenotype and tumor microenvironment.

Establishing a Patient Derived Xenograft Model

In establishing a Patient Derived Xenograft Model, fresh tumor tissue obtained from a patient’s surgery or biopsy is implanted immediately underneath the skin or into the kidney capsule or other organ of an immunodeficient mouse. The most commonly used mice strains are athymic nude or NOD-SCID mice which lack functional T cells and B cells. This allows the human tumor tissue to establish and grow without rejection by the mouse’s immune system.

Tumor engraftment rates for PDX models vary between 10-80% depending on the tumor type. The tumor tissue is serially passaged in mice by re-implanting portions of established tumors into other mice. Multiple passages help expand the tumor material for experimental use while preserving key characteristics. Molecular profiling of early passages show PDX models accurately retain the genomic landscape of the parental patient tumors.

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