Scientists unveil more than 600 new tissue models of human cancer
Derived from patient tumor samples and available to researchers around the world, the cells will aid the development of new cancer treatments.
An international team of scientists, led by researchers at MIT's Koch Institute, the Broad Institute, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has developed nearly 600 new tissue models of human cancer. These models, derived from patient tumors, accurately represent the genetic and molecular traits of the cancer being studied and are available for researchers worldwide to use in drug development.
The project, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is described in a new paper in Nature and represents a 10-year initiative to expand the number of patient-derived tissue models available. The models were created by converting tumor cells into 3D cell cultures called organoids, which can survive indefinitely and better mimic the structure of the original tumors.
This effort was necessary because previous efforts, such as the Cancer Genome Atlas, only cataloged the genomic alterations responsible for cancer growth in a limited number of patients. The new models include 25 different types of cancer, with most coming from commonly seen cancers like lung, liver, and pancreatic tumors, as well as about 150 rare types.
Researchers analyzed the models to identify vulnerabilities that could be targeted with new drugs, adding to the Cancer Dependency Map, which now includes information on more than 2,000 types of cancer.
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