This work was supported by the Sichuan Province Science and Technology Support Program (Grant Nos. 2019JDRC0019 and 2021ZYD0097), the 1.3.5 project for disciplines of excellence, West China Hospital, Sichuan University (Grant No. ZYJC18026), the 1.3.5 project for disciplines of excellence-Clinical Research Incubation Project, West China Hospital, Sichuan University (Grant No. 2020HXFH023), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (SCU2022D025), the International Cooperation Project of Chengdu Science and Technology Bureau (Grant No. 2022-GH02-00023-HZ), the Innovation Spark Project of Sichuan University (Grant No. 2019SCUH0015), and the Talent Training Fund for Medical-engineering Integration of West China Hospital - University of Electronic Science and Technology (Grant No. HXDZ22012).

All the animal experiments were performed in accordance with the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care guidelines and protocols approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of West China Hospital, Sichuan University. NOD-SCID immunodeficient mice aged 4-6 weeks old (of both sexes) and female Balb/c nude mice aged 4-6 weeks old were used for the present study. The animals were obtained from a commercial source (see Table of Materials). The ethics committee o...

No potential conflicts of interest are disclosed.

This study has successfully established the subcutaneous PDX models of ATC and HNSCC. There are many aspects to pay attention to during the process of PDX model construction. When the tumor tissue is separated from the patient, it should be put into the ice box and sent to the laboratory for inoculation as soon as possible. After the tumor arrives at the laboratory, the operator must pay attention to maintaining a sterile field and practice aseptic procedures. For needle biopsy samples, because the tumor tissue is partic...

The PDX model is an animal model in which human tumor tissue is transplanted into immunodeficient mice and grows in the environment provided by the mice1. Traditional tumor cell line models suffer from several disadvantages, such as the lack of heterogeneity, the inability to retain the tumor microenvironment, the vulnerability to genetic variations during repeated in vitro passages, and the poor clinical application2,3. The main drawbacks of genetically engineered animal models are the potential loss of the genomic features of human tumors, the introduction of new unknown mutations, and the difficulty in identifying the degree of homology between mouse tumors and human tumors4. In addition, the preparation of genetically engineered animal models is expensive, time-consuming, and relatively inefficient4.
The PDX model has many advantages over other tumor models in terms of reflecting tumor heterogeneity. From the perspective of histopathology, although the mouse counterpart replaces the human stroma over time, the PDX model preserves the morphological structure of the primary tumor well. In addition, the PDX model conserves the metabolomic identity of the primary tumor for at least four generations and better reflects the complex inter-relationships between tumor cells and their microenvironment, making it unique in simulating the growth, metastasis, angiogenesis, and immunosuppression of human tumor tissue5,6,7. At the cellular and molecular levels, the PDX model accurately reflects the inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity of human tumors, as well as the phenotypic and molecular characteristics of original cancer, including gene expression patterns, mutation status, copy number, and DNA methylation and proteomics8,9. PDX models with different passages have the same sensitivity to drug therapy, indicating that the gene expression of PDX models is highly stable10,11. Studies have shown an excellent correlation between the response of the PDX model to a drug and the clinical responses of patients to that drug12,13. Therefore, the PDX model has emerged as a powerful preclinical and translational research model, particularly for drug screening and clinical prognosis prediction.
Thyroid cancer is a common malignant tumor of the endocrine system and is a human malignancy that has shown a rapid increase in incidence in recent years14. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most malignant thyroid cancer, with a median patient survival of only 4.8 months15. Although only a minority of thyroid cancer patients are diagnosed with ATC each year in China, the mortality rate is close to 100%16,17,18. ATC usually grows rapidly and invades the adjacent tissues of the neck as well as the cervical lymph nodes, and about half of the patients have distant metastases19,20. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer in the world and one of the leading causes of cancer deaths, with an estimated 600,000 people suffering from HNSCC each year21,22,23. HNSCC includes a large number of tumors, including those in the nose, sinuses, mouth, tonsils, pharynx, and larynx24. ATC and HNSCC are two of the main head and neck malignancies. In order to facilitate the development of novel therapeutic agents and personalized treatments, it is necessary to develop robust and advanced preclinical animal models such as PDX models of ATC and HNSCC.
This article introduces detailed methods for establishing the subcutaneous PDX model of ATC and HNSCC, analyzes the key factors affecting the tumor take rate in model construction, and compares the histopathological characteristics between the PDX model and the primary tumor. Meanwhile, in this work, in vivo pharmacodynamic tests were performed using the successfully constructed PDX models in order to validate their clinical relevance.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>2.4 mm x 2.0 mm trocar</td>
			<td>Shenzhen Huayang Biotechnology Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>18-9065</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Balb/c nude mice</td>
			<td>Beijing Vital River Laboratory Animal Technology Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>401</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Biosafety cabinet</td>
			<td>Suzhou Antai</td>
			<td>BSC-1300IIA2</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Blade</td>
			<td>Shenzhen Huayang Biotechnology Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>18-0823</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Centrifuge tube&#160;</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>430791/430829</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cryopreservation tube</td>
			<td>Chengdu Dianrui Experimental Instrument Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>/</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Custodiol HTK-Solution</td>
			<td>Custodiol</td>
			<td>2103417</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)</td>
			<td>SIGMA-ALORICH</td>
			<td>D5879-500mL</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Electronic balance</td>
			<td>METTLER</td>
			<td>ME104</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Electronic digital caliper</td>
			<td>Chengdu Chengliang Tool Group Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>0-220</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>fetal bovine serum(FBS)</td>
			<td>VivaCell</td>
			<td>C04001-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>IBM SPSS Statistics 26</td>
			<td>IBM</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ketamine</td>
			<td>Jiangsu Zhongmu Beikang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd&#160;</td>
			<td>100761663</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Lenvatinib</td>
			<td>ApexBio</td>
			<td>A2174</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NOD SCID immunodeficient mice</td>
			<td>Beijing Vital River Laboratory Animal Technology Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td>406</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Pen-Strep Solution</td>
			<td>Biological Industries</td>
			<td>03-03101BCS</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Petri dish</td>
			<td>WHB</td>
			<td>WHB-60/WHB-100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Saline&#160;</td>
			<td>Sichuan Kelun</td>
			<td>W220051705</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Scissor</td>
			<td>Shenzhen Huayang Biotechnology Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>18-0110</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tweezer</td>
			<td>Shenzhen Huayang Biotechnology Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>18-1241</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vet ointment</td>
			<td>Pfizer Inc.</td>
			<td>P10015353</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Xylazine</td>
			<td>Dunhua Shengda Animal Medicine Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>070031777</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

establishment and characterization of patient-derived xenograft models of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models faithfully preserve the histological and genetic characteristics of the primary tumor and maintain its heterogeneity. Pharmacodynamic results based on PDX models are highly correlated with clinical practice. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most malignant subtype of thyroid cancer, with strong invasiveness, poor prognosis, and limited treatment. Although the incidence rate of ATC accounts for only 2%-5% of thyroid cancer, its mortality rate is as high as 15%-50%. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common head and neck malignancies, with over 600,000 new cases worldwide each year. Herein, detailed protocols are presented to establish PDX models of ATC and HNSCC. In this work, the key factors influencing the success rate of model construction were analyzed, and the histopathological features were compared between the PDX model and the primary tumor. Furthermore, the clinical relevance of the model was validated by evaluating the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of representative clinically used drugs in the successfully constructed PDX models.

A total of 18 thyroid cancer specimens were transplanted, and five PDX models of thyroid cancer were successfully constructed (27.8% tumor take rate), including four cases of undifferentiated thyroid cancers and one case of anaplastic thyroid cancer. The correlation between the success rate of model construction and the age, gender, tumor diameter, tumor grade, and differentiation were analyzed. Although the model success rate of grade 4 tumor samples was higher than for samples with lower grades, and the success rate of...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Establishment and Characterization of Patient-Derived Xenograft Models of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma and Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma at JoVE.com

Establishment and Characterization of Patient-Derived Xenograft Models of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma and Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The present protocol establishes and characterizes a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), as PDX models are rapidly becoming the standard in the field of translational oncology.

Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models faithfully preserve the histological and genetic characteristics of the primary tumor and maintain its ...

This protocol helps establish ATC and HNSCC PDX models which better reflect tumor heterogeneity, molecular diversity, and predict clinic outcomes. The technique is simple to operate, has a high success rate, and can also be suitable for other PDX models. This technique can be extended toward anti-cancer drug sensitivity screening to guide the personalized treatment of cancer patient.An individual who has never performed this technique may encounter some difficulties and paying attention to every detail of the scheme is recommended. After obtaining ATC and HNSCC tumor samples in a 50-millimeter centrifuge tube containing sterile HTK solution, disinfect them with 75%alcohol. Use sterilized ophthalmic forceps to transfer the tumor tissue to a six-centimeter Petri dish filled with saline, and cut them into small pieces using a blade.Then, transfer the pieces into a new six-centimeter Petri dish containing the saline and wrap it with sealing film. Place the wrapped dish in an ice box, carry it to the pathogen-free animal room with scissors, forceps, and inoculation needles. After anesthetizing the mouse, remove the hair on the right lateral thorax and disinfect the area with 75%alcohol.Use scissors to make a two-millimeter incision in the middle of the right lateral thorax. With forceps, take the tissue from the Petri dish and place it into the trocar needle. Hold the mouse and tighten the skin at the puncture site.Insert the trocar with the tumor piece into the incision to the subcutaneous space, then move to the back of the shoulder and push the trocar core. To reserve the remaining tissue using a sterile gauze, remove saline from the tumor surface, ensuring it's not excessively wet. Put four to six tissue pieces in a two-milliliter cell cryopreservation tube and add one milliliter of cryopreservation solution into the tube.Then, place the tube in a gradient cooling box and freeze it at minus 80 degrees Celsius overnight. Finally, transfer it to liquid nitrogen. For resuscitating the PDX model tumors, use Vernier calipers to measure the length and width of the the subcutaneous tumor once a week.Calculate the tumor volume and draw the tumor growth curve. Then, using scissors, cut the euthanized mouse skin surrounding the tumor. Remove the tumor with forceps and place it in a Petri dish.Perform the tumor transplantation till the fifth generation of mice, as previously demonstrated. Select the tumor tissue of a P5 generation ATC PDX model mouse. Cut it into two to four cubic millimeter pieces.Inoculate these pieces subcutaneously as previously demonstrated, to the right back of a nude, four to six week female BALB/c mouse. When the tumor grows 50 to 150 cubic millimeters, divide the mice into three groups. After administering lenvatinib, cisplatin, and control twice a week, measure the mouse's body weight.Also, measure the tumor volume. The correlation analysis show that the success rate of ATC PDX model construction was not dependent on age, gender, tumor diameter, tumor grade, and differentiation. The tumor take rate in the HNSCC PDX model construction demonstrated that the degree of differentiation was associated with model success rate, while the other parameters did not affect the tumor take rate.The tumor growth curves for each PDX model illustrated that the ATC samples were stably passed to the P3 generation, while two cases of HNSCC samples failed to form tumors after passing to the P1 generation. The tumor growth rate of the P0 generation for most PDX models was relatively slower than for the later passages, likely due to the adaptation of the mouse microenvironment. Histopathological examination demonstrated that the PDX tumors retain the morphological characteristics of the primary tumors.Treatment with lenvatinib significantly inhibited tumor growth and showed lower tumor weight in the ATC PDX model compared to the control group. Additionally, lenvatinib-treated mice did not exhibit discernible changes in their overall weight. Excessive cisplatin dosage resulted in significant toxicity, as evidenced by weight loss and even death.Fresh tumors must be washed several times with normal saline before being cut into pieces. Mixing by biopsied tumor samples with and inoculating them will likely cause tumor formation. This model can be used for tumor biology research, drug screening, personalized therapy.

establishment-characterization-patient-derived-xenograft-models

Research

JoVE Journal

Cancer Research

1.5K visualizações.  Sichuan University. Esse protocolo ajuda a estabelecer modelos de ATC e HNSCC PDX que melhor refletem a heterogeneidade tumoral, a diversidade molecular e predizem desfechos clínicos. A técnica é simples de operar, tem uma alta taxa de sucesso e também pode ser adequada para outros modelos PDX. Esta técnica pode ser estendida para o rastreamento de sensibilidade a drogas anti-câncer para orientar o tratamento personalizado de pacientes com câncer.Um indivíduo que nunca realizou esta técnica pode ...

Vídeo: Establishment and Characterization of Patient-Derived Xenograft Models of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma and Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma