UC–UT Southwestern center to create diverse cancer tumor models
University of California and UT Southwestern D-PDTC
Creating tumor models from patients of different racial and ethnic backgrounds to help find better treatment options for people with advanced cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11211049 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This multi-center program collects tumor tissue from patients across six comprehensive cancer centers and grows patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) that mirror the original cancers. The team will create and characterize at least 120 new PDX models from racially and ethnically diverse patients and use detailed bioinformatics to map tumor features. Researchers will test FDA-approved drugs and NCI-CTEP drug combinations in these models to see which approaches work best for tumors from different groups. The results are meant to explain biological differences linked to ancestry and to guide future clinical trials that include diverse patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with advanced solid tumors who can provide tumor tissue through surgery or biopsy, especially those from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, are ideal candidates to support this work.
Not a fit: Patients who cannot donate tumor tissue, those with cancers not represented by the PDX models (for example some blood cancers), or those needing immediate approved treatment are unlikely to get direct benefit from this preclinical program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to more personalized treatment options and help reduce cancer outcome disparities for underrepresented groups.
How similar studies have performed: Patient-derived xenografts are a well-established preclinical tool that have helped predict drug responses in some cancers, but building a large, diversity-focused PDX bank is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Davis, United States
- University of California at Davis — Davis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Carvajal Carmona, Luis Guillermo — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Carvajal Carmona, Luis Guillermo
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.