Greehey CCRI Xenograft & Cell-Lines Core

The Xenograft and Cell Lines Core at GCCRI specializes in preclinical testing of chemotherapeutics and their combinations using mouse models. This Core is available to researchers at UT Health San Antonio, pharmaceutical companies, and any laboratories involved in animal research.

The foundation of the biobank is built on an extensive collection of pediatric PDX models developed by Professor Houghton over the course of his distinguished research career. We continue to expand this resource by developing new, well-characterized pediatric models and establishing an adult PDX collection, thereby broadening our capacity to support translational research and therapeutic innovation across cancer types.

The team excels in a range of in vivo studies, including dose-response assessments, toxicity testing, single-agent and combination efficacy testing, and pharmacodynamic studies.

Under the direction of Dr. Anna Rogojina, the Xenograft and Cell Lines Core is a key component of the Greehey CCRI’s mission to advance therapies for pediatric cancer.

List of Services Associated with the Establishment and Propagation of PDX Models

Patient Samples and Model Management

• Acquisition of human tumor specimens through collaboration with physicians and principal investigators, adhering to all regulatory and legal requirements (IRB, patient consent, MTAs, etc.).
• Restoration and propagation of established models from a cryopreserved state.
• Implantation of primary patient samples or existing PDX/CDX models into immunocompromised mice using heterotopic and orthotopic methods.

Propagation and Maintenance of PDX Models

• Repassaging tumor tissue into mice to establish, expand, and maintain the model line.
• Production of study cohorts all bearing the same tumor.

Data Monitoring and Record-Keeping

• Monitoring mouse models via visual health assessment, weight monitoring, and caliper measurements of tumors.
• Noninvasive monitoring when necessary.

Tissue Collection and Sample Preparation

• Collection of tissues for various purposes, including:
  • Quality control and characterization (STR PCR for fidelity, human/mouse content analysis, histology, pathogen testing).
  • Development of organoids and cell lines.
  • Cryopreservation, banking, and pathology analysis.
• Preparation of samples (DNA/RNA/single cells/single nuclei) for downstream analysis, such as genomic analysis and flow cytometry.

Execution of Preclinical Research Studies

• Running studies including dose-response, toxicity testing (MTD), single-agent and combination efficacy testing, and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies.
• Offering all standard drug delivery methods.
• Collecting samples during and after treatment for downstream analysis.

Tumor Cryopreservation and BioBank

• Long-term cryogenic storage of samples in a secure biobank using a barcoding system for inventory and tracking.
• Annotation of stored samples with molecular and histological analysis data.

Provision of Materials

• Providing pre-sectioned, unstained FFPE slides of PDX tissues from the biobank.
• Providing immunocompromised mice (NSG, CB17scids, or other requested strains).

Study Planning and Support

• Close collaboration with principal investigators for study planning, identifying models, defining the scope of work, and setting timelines.
• Providing regular progress updates, data sharing, and immediate communication of problems.

Grant and Training Support

• Assisting with grant applications (writing animal sections, budgets, program descriptions, letters of support).
• Training lab members on PDX techniques and SOPs, including animal handling, drug administration, surgery, and sample processing.

Data Management

• Maintaining a secure, dynamic database for collecting, storing, and tracking raw experimental data from all PDX-related activities.

View Greehey CCRI PDX List

• PDX Core PDX list (Pediatric & Adolescent)
• PDX Core PDX List (Adult)

Acknowledgements  in Publications:

Please include “GCCRI PDX and Cell Line Core” in your manuscript if you received any materials and support from us.

Establishing and propagating preclinical studies using Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) models involves a wide range of costs due to numerous variables in the experimental design and infrastructure required. The final cost is highly customized and depends on specific choices made by the principal investigator.

Key factors influencing the cost include:

• Establishment and Propagation
  • Initial Implantation: The number of mice used and the implantation method (subcutaneous vs. orthotopic) affect the initial cost.
  • Monitoring Method: How tumor growth is monitored—using calipers, imaging techniques, or blood/bone marrow analysis—affects the equipment and labor costs.
  • Growth Duration: The time it takes for a tumor to grow (ranging from 3 to 12 months) directly influences the duration of animal care and facility use.
• Tumor Tissue Analysis
  • The type and extent of molecular characterization requested determine the analysis cost. Options include histological, genomic, or biochemical analyses.
• Preclinical Research Testing
  • Testing costs vary based on the number of agents, models, and mice involved.
  • The treatment schedule (ranging from 1 week to several months) and requests for pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) studies or toxicity testing also significantly contribute to total expense.

Estimation of Basal Costs/Model Associated with the Establishment, Propagation, and Study Design

Item or Service	Average Cost
Mice purchase; price depends on the strain	$70 (CB-17 SCID mouse) $150 (NSG mouse)
Veterinary and husbandry charges	$1.0/cage/day
Surgery procedures/reagents/ consumables/ storage in liquid nitrogen tanks of viable specimens and of samples for genomic and histologic analysis)/ labor—research technician/manager	$500–1000/model
Viably Frozen and Snap Frozen Tissue	$150/tube (internal requesters) $350/tube (external requesters)
DNA/RNA isolation	$25/sample
FFPE unstained slides	$20/slide

• GCCRI PDX Core_PDX Sample Request Form
• PDX Core_PDX Study Request Form 

Please download and email the completed form to:

Dr. Anna Rogojina
Technical Director, PDX Core Facility
rogojina@uthscsa.edu