Patient-derived xenograft models-the future of personalised cancer treatment

For many tumours there is a lack of randomised data from which we can guide systemic treatments. Although gene expression profiling along with proteomics has led to advances in diagnosis, classification and prognosis, our ability to target many cancers has been further limited due to a lack of therapeutic options. The use of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models in the setting of a rare malignancy is discussed here by Kamili et al, with the successful establishment of new model systems.