What is special about patient-derived xenograft orthotopic models, and why does Certis use them for YourPDX testing?

Think of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) orthotopic models as personalized mouse avatars — close replicates of an individual’s unique form of cancer in immuno-compromised mice. To create a PDX orthotopic model, Certis scientists surgically implant fragments of expanded tumor tissue from first-generation mice into the location of origin—the same anatomical location from which the original tumor came from in the individual’s body. For example, if the tumor biopsy came from the colon, we engraft tissue into the mouse avatars’ colon. This is important because we know from years of research that the tumor microenvironment in which a tumor grows can greatly influence drug response, drug resistance and metastatic behavior.