Patient-derived xenografts: a promising resource for preclinical cancer research

Patient-derived xenograft tumors retain molecular and histopathological features of the originating tumor and are useful preclinical tools for drug discovery and assessment. We recently reported that ‘rapid’ engraftment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma samples is highly prognostic and correlates with deregulation of the G1/S checkpoint. Tumors with genetic alterations in cyclinD1 (CCND1) and/or cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) are more likely to respond to abemaciclib.