The ITCC-P4 PDX Platform Enables Preclinical Testing of Pediatric Cancers.

The ITCC-P4 platform established 353 molecularly characterized pediatric cancer PDX models for in vivo drug testing, capturing tumor heterogeneity and disease progression.

• Why it matters: Pediatric cancer remains a leading cause of death in high-income countries, with tumor heterogeneity and limited targeted therapies hindering treatment progress. Addressing these gaps requires relevant preclinical models that reflect patient tumor diversity and disease states.
• What they did: The platform built a large repertoire of PDX models from diagnostic and relapsed pediatric cancers, including serial models from primary, relapse, and metastasis samples, and performed in vivo drug screening to identify potential predictive biomarkers.
• The result: This resource enables preclinical testing of therapies tailored to oncogenic drivers and biomarkers, supporting the development and prioritization of innovative treatments for pediatric cancers.