Patient-derived xenograft models of prostate tumors

In contrast to many other solid tumor types, the potential of using patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) from prostate cancer for preclinical research has yet to be fully realized. Prostate cancer PDXs are notoriously difficult to establish and this section provides a state-of-the-art summary including the effect of implantation site on revealing metastatic potential and the role of the microenvironment in supporting take rate and model fidelity. Tissue recombination is described as a technique that can improve the take rate of prostate xenografts that span the stages of prostate cancer progression. Comparisons of the pathology and molecular profiles of short- and long-term transplantable xenografts are made to describe their potential for studies of tumor biology and for preclinical applications involving patient-directed/targeted therapies.