Newsletter archive
Newsletter October 2023
The colorectal cancer (CRC) PDX panel of EPO is part of a high impact study on CRC chemoresistance published in Molecular Cancer
Just recently, a high impact collaborative study has been published in Molecular Cancer ( Kendzia S et al. A combined computational and functional approach identifies IGF2BP2 as a driver of chemoresistance in a wide array of pre-clinical models of colorectal cancer. Mol Cancer; 2023, 22: 89, PMID: 37248468 ) on computational and functional analyses, which have used the CRC PDX of the oncotrack initiative, to which EPO has contributed a significant panel of CRC PDX models. The study identifies IGF2BP2 as most abundant in CRC, being associated with chemoresistance and which in conclusion represents a potential therapeutic target. The study supports the great value of CRC PDX pre-clinical models to reveal novel mechanisms of chemoresistance and to design new therapeutic resistance overcoming strategies for CRC.
(Weblink)Newsletter June 2023
New publication on glioblastoma (GBM) PDX models established and characterized at EPO
EPO has just recently published a new study on molecular characterization and chemosensitivity testing of its established glioblastoma (GBM) PDX model panel in the journal Frontiers Oncology.

EPO has just recently published a new study on molecular characterization and chemosensitivity testing of its established glioblastoma (GBM) PDX model panel in the journal Frontiers Oncology. Highlights of this study include:
- A panel of 26 patient-derived subcutaneous xenograft (PDX) GBM models was established and screened in immunodeficient mice, providing a valuable platform for studying GBM biology.
- Sensitivity to a drug panel with different modes of action was determined, revealing the best treatment responses for temozolomide (standard of care), irinotecan, and bevacizumab.
- Intracranial models, which mimic the tumor microenvironment in the brain, showed reduced drug sensitivity due to the blood-brain barrier limiting drug penetration to the tumor.
These findings provide significant insights into the heterogenous and complex biology of GBMs and offer a promising avenue for developing targeted therapies. Further research on molecular markers and drug optimization using this platform can pave the way for improved treatment options for GBM patients.
Newsletter February 2023
News on Renal Cell Cancer (RCC) PDX models established at EPO
EPO has recently published the study on thorough characterization of its panels of RCC PDX models in Frontiers Oncology (Gürgen et al., Fontiers Oncol, 12:889789, 2022). In the study, data on molecular ...
analyses of these models and their response toward drug treatment as well as correlation analyses on drug responsiveness and molecular profiles are presented. This publication demonstrates the value of such PDX models for pre-clinical testing to identify new therapeutic targets, molecular signatures and to evaluate novel therapeutic approaches.
Newsletter January 2023
Successful use of EPO’s NSCLC PDX models to develop novel combination therapy
EPO has established a panel of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) PDX models, which currently have been successfully employed to test a novel approach for targeted drug combinations. This was done in collaboration with Stefan Langhammer from Life Science ...
Consulting and published in Communications Biology (Gürgen D et al., Comm Biol 5:59; 2022). Detailed molecular analyses of the NSCLC PDX signaling networks enabled identification of intervention points to more effectively prevent the development of drug resistance of these tumors. Based on this, treatment of EPO’s NSCLC PDXs with a combination of cabozantinib, afatinib, plerixafor and etoricoxib resulted in efficient overcoming of resistance for these tumors and an improved therapeutic outcome. This study is an excellent example that molecular data sets of PDX models can be used effectively for design and testing of novel therapy concepts.
Newsletter April 2022
AACR Annual Meeting 2022 in New Orleans
Dear Colleagues,
Unfortunately, the pandemic situation has just once again prevented us from attending the AACR meeting in person and has forced us to cancel our on-site poster presentations.
After a break of more than 3 years due to the pandemic, we were very much looking forward to meeting you again in person at this year's AACR and to share the latest developments on preclinical tumor models at the posters.
If you are attending the AACR, we look forward to a lively online poster discussion with you via the "AACR Annual Meeting 2022: E-Poster" webpage.
For those not attending the meeting, we are sending the link to our posters here:
Poster#1: Humanized mouse models for ...
Poster#2: Breaking the crosstalk of ...
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Best Regards
Jens Hoffmann
CEO
Newsletter March 2021
Tumor Model Insights 03/2021:
Partially temozolomide resistant, IDH-wildtype glioblastoma PDX model (Glio10618)