Disease model using patient-derived gynecological tumors to develop drug treatments, test drug efficacy, and simulate human oncogenesis.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecological malignancy in the United States, with over 49,000 new cases each year. Current animal tumors have insufficient structural architecture and tumor heterogeneity, and lack of effective drugs hinders treatment of EC. This complicates tests performed to predict patient response to certain treatments.

A novel model for the development of highly personalized gynecological tumors has been created. Orthotopic implantation of tumors derived from patients with gynecological malignancies result in mouse models that simulate human oncogenesis over multiple generations. The model is also excellent for translational studies.

Publication

• Offers a customizable mouse tumor model that simulates patient tumor and microenvironment.
• Provides stable propagation in mice over multiple generations.
• Improves predictability of tumor progression and drug response.
• Shows potential to customize therapeutic treatments for individual patients.

Arauchi, A., Yang, C.H., Cho, S., Jarboe, E.A., Peterson, C.M., Bae, Y.H., Okano, T., Janát-Amsbury, M.M. (2015). An immunocompetent, orthotopic mouse model of epithelial ovarian cancer utilizing tissue engineered tumor cell sheets. Tissue Engineering Part C: Methods, 21(1): 23-34. doi: 10.1089/ten.tec.2014.0040

Aaron Duffy
(801) 585-1377
aaron.duffy@utah.edu