Patient-Derived Tumor Organoids: Characterization and Functional Applications

The Human Cancer Models Initiative (HCMI) is a global collaboration led by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), with partners including Cancer Research UK, the Welcome Sanger Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, Stanford University, Hubrecht Organoid Technology, and NCI-funded institutions such as the Broad Institute and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. The initiative develops next‑generation, patient‑derived cancer models that better capture the genomic and phenotypic complexity of human tumors compared to traditional cell lines. ATCC® is the sole distributor of the HCMI portfolio, currently providing 337 fully characterized 2-D and 3-D cancer models derived from over 28 tissue types, including colorectal, pancreatic, brain, and esophageal cancers as well as rare cancers like Wilms tumor and Ewing’s sarcoma. These models reflect diverse clinical backgrounds and retain high genomic fidelity, preserving over 80% of oncogenic drivers and maintaining transcriptional and epigenetic landscapes comparable to patient tumors. By offering clinically relevant models with available sequencing data and patient metadata through the HCMI portal, this work supports improved preclinical testing, biomarker discovery, precision oncology research, and studies of tumor heterogeneity and health disparities.