JOURNAL ARTICLE
RESEARCH SUPPORT, NON-U.S. GOV'T
REVIEW
Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

One mouse, one patient paradigm: New avatars of personalized cancer therapy.

Cancer Letters 2014 March 2
Over the last few decades, study of cancer in mouse models has gained popularity. Sophisticated genetic manipulation technologies and commercialization of these murine systems have made it possible to generate mice to study human disease. Given the large socio-economic burden of cancer, both on academic research and the health care industry, there is a need for in vivo animal cancer models that can provide a rationale that is translatable to the clinic. Such a bench-to-bedside transition will facilitate a long term robust strategy that is economically feasible and clinically effective to manage cancer. The major hurdles in considering mouse models as a translational platform are the lack of tumor heterogeneity and genetic diversity, which are a hallmark of human cancers. The present review, while critical of these pitfalls, discusses two newly emerging concepts of personalized mouse models called "Mouse Avatars" and Co-clinical Trials. Development of "Mouse Avatars" entails implantation of patient tumor samples in mice for subsequent use in drug efficacy studies. These avatars allow for each patient to have their own tumor growing in an in vivo system, thereby allowing the identification of a personalized therapeutic regimen, eliminating the cost and toxicity associated with non-targeted chemotherapeutic measures. In Co-clinical Trials, genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs) are used to guide therapy in an ongoing human patient trial. Murine and patient trials are conducted concurrently, and information obtained from the murine system is applied towards future clinical management of the patient's tumor. The concurrent trials allow for a real-time integration of the murine and human tumor data. In combination with several molecular profiling techniques, the "Mouse Avatar" and Co-clinical Trial concepts have the potential to revolutionize the drug development and health care process. The present review outlines the current status, challenges and the future potential of these two new in vivo approaches in the field of personalized oncology.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app