The Human Cancer Models Initiative (HCMI): Patient-Derived Cancer Organoid Models for Preclinical Research

About this event

The Human Cancer Models Initiative (HCMI) is a global effort led by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to advance translational oncology through patient-derived cancer models. Traditional cell lines often fail to capture the complexity of human tumors, limiting their relevance in drug discovery. HCMI addresses this by generating clinically relevant, next-generation patient-derived cancer models in both 2-D and 3-D formats, including organoids, spheroids, neurospheres, and patient-derived cell lines. ATCC serves as the sole distributor and manufacturing partner for HCMI models, ensuring that these models are standardized, quality-controlled, and supported by extensive genomic, transcriptomic, epigenetic, histopathologic, and clinical annotation datasets. More than 300 models have been released across 28 cancer types, including colorectal, pancreas, brain, breast, and esophagus, as well as rare malignancies such as Wilms tumor and Ewing’s sarcoma, metastatic disease, pediatric cancers, and tumors derived from underrepresented patient populations. Models are linked to clinical and genomic information through the HCMI searchable catalog, enabling investigators to select models based on tumor type, disease status, targeted mutations, alterations, treatment plans, and the specific molecular characteristics relevant to their studies. Comprehensive molecular characterization has demonstrated exceptional fidelity between patient tumors and matched models, with strong alignment to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), retaining over 80% of oncogenic drivers. The ability to combine genetically and clinically annotated patient-derived organoids with emerging technologies such as multi-omics analysis, high-content screening, artificial intelligence, and microphysiological systems further broadens their translational potential. Together, these capabilities position HCMI as a foundational resource for precision oncology, enabling drug screening, biomarker discovery, and personalized medicine.

The day after the seminar, a workshop will provide a hands-on laboratory session assessing the initial growth and morphology of selected models that were presented during the seminar.

This Sylvester Shared Resources Advanced Biomedical Technology Seminar is hosted by the Sylvester Cancer Modeling Shared Resource.

Speaker:

Abhay Andar, Ph.D.

Lead Scientist, Microphysiological Systems

ATCC (American Type Culture Collection)