xenograft
Definition
A xenograft is a tissue or organ transplanted from one species to another, most commonly involving the implantation of human tumor cells or tissues into immunocompromised animal hosts, typically mice. This technique is fundamental in cancer research, enabling researchers to study tumor biology, metastasis, drug responses, and therapeutic efficacy in vivo. Patient-derived xenografts (PDX) preserve the original tumor's heterogeneity and molecular characteristics, making them valuable for personalized medicine approaches. Xenografts bridge in vitro findings and clinical applications, allowing investigation of tumor microenvironment interactions, angiogenesis, and immune evasion mechanisms in a living system.
Visualize xenograft in Nodes Bio
Researchers can map xenograft experimental data onto molecular networks to identify drug targets and resistance mechanisms. Visualize gene expression changes between original patient tumors and xenograft passages, overlay drug response data onto pathway networks, or trace how tumor-stroma interactions evolve across xenograft generations. Network analysis reveals which signaling pathways remain conserved versus altered during xenograft establishment.
Visualization Ideas:
- Differential gene expression networks comparing patient tumor vs xenograft passages
- Drug response pathway networks showing activated resistance mechanisms
- Tumor-stroma interaction networks mapping human cancer cells and mouse microenvironment components
Example Use Case
A pharmaceutical team establishes PDX models from triple-negative breast cancer patients to test a novel kinase inhibitor. They perform RNA-seq at multiple passages and compare molecular profiles between responders and non-responders. Using network visualization, they identify that resistant xenografts activate alternative PI3K/AKT signaling pathways and upregulate specific receptor tyrosine kinases. This network-level analysis reveals combination therapy opportunities and biomarkers predictive of treatment response that weren't apparent from individual gene analysis.