Oncodesign offers patient-derived colorectal tumour models for drug development

11 April 2011

Dijon-based Oncodesign is offering what it claims is the world’s most comprehensive collection of human colorectal cancer models directly developed from patient’s tumours.

Oncodesign’s clients can now access the entire collection to evaluate therapeutic compounds in house or to carry out preclinical studies with Oncodesign.

This new collection has integrated Oncodesign’s Chi-Mice platform, designed to provide state-of-the-art preclinical models from human samples. The Chi-Mice platform includes both reconstituted human immune system models on NSG/NOG mice and models xenografted with patient-derived tumours.

"This collection is the result of a five-year research program, and is the most comprehensive worldwide in terms of the range of genetic heterogeneity and characterization. It marks a breakthrough in the evaluation of colorectal cancer therapies,” explained Philippe Genne, president and CEO of Oncodesign.

"The CReMEC collection ensures low-passage experimental models to fit the clinical reality. This is all the more relevant since preclinical research usually relies on cell lines that may be many years old, grown in tissue culture and then grafted onto mice. Cell lines may drift into different genetic profiles and are not reliable enough to evaluate anticancer therapies."

CReMEC brings together highly qualified and complementary skills from world-class French institutes, three pharmaceutical companies, and Oncodesign as project leader. The €5.4 million program has been developed to meet industrial requirements and strict guidelines were observed from conception to characterization. A full range of characterization is available with each model.

Clinical, molecular, pharmacological and histological data have been collected and gathered in a dedicated database, in parallel with a biobank of more than 5,000 samples. The CReMEC collection and derivatives represent a valued basis for Oncodesign’s clients and academic institutions now conducting research projects with these resources.

Based on this initial success, Oncodesign says the consortium is considering the development of a dedicated national platform. The challenge is to provide patient-derived cancer models for any cancer pathology to meet unsatisfied needs in cancer research.