Liver-Specific Extracellular Matrix Enables High-Fidelity Patient-Derived Hepatocellular Carcinoma Xenograft Models.

ABSTRACT: Patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) models serve as powerful tools in oncology research owing to their ability to capture patient-specific tumor heterogeneity and clinical behavior. However, the conventional matrices derived from murine tumors, commonly used to generate PDX models, suffer from key limitations such as lack of tissue specificity, high production costs, and inconsistent batch quality. In response, our study investigates the use of decellularized liver extracellular matrix (Liver ECM) as a biomimetic alternative that more accurately recapitulates the native hepatic microenvironment. We demonstrate that Liver ECM, enriched with liver-specific biochemical cues, enables robust engraftment, growth, and metastasis of patient-derived hepatocellular carcinoma cells in both subcutan

SUBMITTER: Kim SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12369845 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature