ATCC, the world’s premier biological materials management and standards organization, today announced that it has been awarded a contract with Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. (Leidos Biomed), current operator of the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, for the continued production, characterization and distribution of next-generation cancer models (NGCM). These models will be distributed solely by ATCC as part of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Human Cancer Model Initiative (HCMI), an international consortium that is generating novel, next-generation, tumor-derived culture models annotated with genomic, clinical and biospecimen data. In consultation with the HCMI team at Leidos Biomed and the Center for Cancer Genomics (CCG) at NCI, the contract will add 70 additional NGCMs to HCMI’s current catalog of 182 models – all of which will be available as a community resource through its data portal.
“We recognize that the industry needs more biologically relevant cancer models and are well positioned to ensure that this expanded collection of diverse NGCMs is available to the scientific community through the HCMI,” said Raymond H. Cypess, D.V.M., Ph.D., chairman and CEO of ATCC.
NGCMs are invaluable for in vitro studies as they more closely mimic the in vivo disease characteristics. The new models from primary, metastatic and recurrent cancers will expand the types of cancers represented and increase the number of patient-derived tumors available for study. New cancer types potentially released under this contract include but are not limited to bladder, endometrial, head and neck, ovarian, pediatric and rare cancer, as well as desmoid tumor, lymphoma and neuroblastoma.
“ATCC is at the core of enabling breakthroughs in cancer research by collaborating with HCMI to provide well-characterized 2-D and 3-D models for R&D studies,” said James Clinton, lead scientist at ATCC. “These patient-derived in vitro cancer models will include 2-D conditionally reprogrammed cells (CRCs) and 3-D neurospheres and organoids grown in a cellular matrix that better recapitulate the in vivo environment than adherent cell lines.”
Using detailed methodologies and key technical inputs developed and shared by the HCMI Cancer Model Development Centers (CMDCs), scientists at ATCC have successfully replicated and compiled model-specific, easy-to-follow culture protocols and a video for the 3-D model, containing everything that will be required to initiate, expand and cryopreserve organoids embedded in 3-D culture. They will also provide guidance and advice to fellow scientists working with NGCMs in their own laboratories.
“With this contract, ATCC will expand its commitment to the NCI’s mission to improve human health by providing the scientific community with in vitro tools like NGCMs to study cancer, identify and target novel therapies, and facilitate translational cancer research,” said Joseph Leonelli, Ph.D., senior vice president of ATCC Federal Solutions. “We look forward to supporting HCMI’s efforts to prioritize the development of solutions to advance cancer research worldwide.”