In vitro models of soft tissue sarcomas: basic and clinical aspects

Diagnosis and selection of effective therapy of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are complicated by low incidence and significant histological variability of these tumors. Development of molecular and genetic testing methods is aimed at improving differential diagnosis of different types of STS and identification of genetic abnormalities which can potentially serve as targets for therapy. Development of effective treatment methods requires adequate preclinical models capable of recreating biological features of the tumors. The article presents molecular and genetic testing methods for STS diagnosis and therapy, advances in in vitro STS models, problems with their use in preclinical studies, as well as possibilities of using primary cell cultures for personalized treatment.