With some exceptions, cancer research using tumor-derived cell lines grown on plastic has failed to yield results that benefit patients. To address their shortcomings, researchers have begun to use "patient-derived xenografts" (PDX), in which human tumors are typically grown in immunocompromised mice. Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) established a Patient-Derived Xenograft and Advanced In Vivo Models (PDX-AIM) Core in 2016 jointly backed by the BCM Advanced Technology Core Laboratories and the Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center. The Core currently provides PDX development, and experimental assistance to 18 PDX Programs, including 16 at BCM/TCH, and ...

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With some exceptions, cancer research using tumor-derived cell lines grown on plastic has failed to yield results that benefit patients. To address their shortcomings, researchers have begun to use "patient-derived xenografts" (PDX), in which human tumors are typically grown in immunocompromised mice. Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) established a Patient-Derived Xenograft and Advanced In Vivo Models (PDX-AIM) Core in 2016 jointly backed by the BCM Advanced Technology Core Laboratories and the Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center. The Core currently provides PDX development, and experimental assistance to 18 PDX Programs, including 16 at BCM/TCH, and one each at the Huntsman Cancer Institute (Utah), and the University of Basel (Switzerland). For this proposal, we are joined by five new Texas institutions for a total of seven. These are: Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Texas Children's Hospital (TCH), MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), UT Austin, UT Southwestern (UTSW), and the UT San Antonio and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Centers (UTHSCSA and TTUHSC, respectively). Our goals are to provide computational and experimental infrastructure, as well as technical expertise to harmonize PDX programs across Texas. This will enhance our ability to develop PDX models and use them experimentally and will provide infrastructure to allow PDX developers state-wide to manage PDX collections more effectively. By necessity, the core will be a "decentralized" facility because of the multiple Texas institutions involved. Investigators will meet virtually on a quarterly basis to discuss issues. New PDX initiatives (i.e. experimental therapeutics evaluation) will be supported by an established "credit" system using BCM institutional matching funds. This proposed Core directly addresses five CPRIT research program priorities. Thus, this enhanced PDX-AIM Core will have a significant impact on cancer research statewide.

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