Impact of Subcutaneous Versus Orthotopic Implantations on Patient-Derived Xenograft Transcriptomic Profiles.

ABSTRACT: Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) are essential preclinical models, capturing the histologic and molecular features of human tumors. Subcutaneous (s.c.) and orthotopic (ortho) PDXs are widely used, but their comparative utility remains unclear, especially regarding tumor and stromal gene expression. This study analyzed 45 matched s.c. and ortho PDX models spanning five cancer types using bulk RNA sequencing. Tumor (human) gene expression was highly conserved between s.c. and ortho PDXs, with similar epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, and stemness scores. In contrast, stromal (mouse) gene expression varied by implantation site, with ortho models better reflecting native tissue environments. A conserved subset of stromal genes, consisting of histone and ribosomal protein genes a

SUBMITTER: Sheng Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12117319 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature