Overview
What It Is
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has established a Patient-Derived Models Repository (PDMR) developed from human tumor tissues and blood. The models are made available upon request to serve as a resource for public-private partnerships and for academic cancer drug discovery efforts. These established, quality-controlled PDMs are clinically annotated with molecular information available in an easily accessible database. nih
It is housed within NCI's Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD) and operated by the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research.
Origins
This effort began in April 2012 when the NCI hosted a Target Validation Meeting with participants from academia and pharma to discuss the current state of preclinical models in cancer research. Subsequent discussions identified needs including improved reproducibility and transparency of preclinical data, clarification of the role of PDXs in target identification, development of models to enable comparative assessment of molecular predictors of drug efficacy, and establishment of predictive genomic signatures. nih
Model Types Available
Model types include: patient-derived xenografts (PDXs), patient-derived in vitro tumor cell cultures (PDCs), patient-derived organoids (PDOrg), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and PDX panel tissue microarrays (TMAs). nih
A distinctive feature is the aim for matched models from the same patient — wherever possible, a matched PDX, PDOrg, PDC, and CAF are created from each unique tumor source, enabling cross-model comparisons of drug response.
Scale & Scope
The PDMR targets 50 unique tumor models per common cancer type across solid tumor histologies and hematologic malignancies. Models are generated from primary and metastatic tumor tissues and blood specimens supplied by NCI-supported clinical trials and NCI-designated Cancer Centers. PubMed Central
Clinical annotation for each model includes previous clinical therapies, smoking history, race/ethnicity, and molecular sequencing data for a subset of models.
Gynecologic Cancer Relevance
Gynecologic cancers were explicitly added to the PDMR as part of a release of models spanning several tumor types, alongside osteosarcomas and small cell lung cancers. Clinical data are available for download, and the models are available on request. ResearchGate
This makes the PDMR directly relevant to ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancer research — providing accessible, clinically annotated PDX and organoid models that researchers can request without having to establish their own patient cohorts.
How to Access
Models are requested through the PDMR database at pdmr.cancer.gov. The process involves:
- Searching the database for models of interest by tumor type, molecular features, or clinical annotation
- Submitting a formal request (with MTA)
- Models are provided to qualified academic and industry researchers at no cost beyond shipping
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for working with the models are publicly available.
Notes
PDXNet initiative is a complementary NCI program for PDX model sharing with standardized genomic characterization.