Utilizing Patient-derived Xenografts to Model Precision Oncology for Biliary Tract Cancer.

Purpose: Biliary tract cancers (BTCs), which are rare and aggressive malignancies, are rich in clinically actionable molecular alterations. A major challenge in the field is the paucity of clinically relevant BTC models which recapitulate the diverse molecular profiles of these tumors. The purpose of this study was to curate a collection of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models that reflect the spectrum of genomic alterations present in BTCs to create a resource for modeling precision oncology.
Experimental Design: PDXs were derived from BTC collected from surgical resections or metastatic biopsies. Alterations present in the PDXs were identified by whole exome sequencing and RNASeq. PDXs were treated with approved and investigational agents. Efficacy was assessed by change in tumor volume from baseline. Event-free survival was defined as time to tumor doubling from baseline. Responses were categorized at day 21: >30% decrease=partial response; >20% increase in tumor volume=progressive disease, and any non-PR/PD was considered stable disease.
Results: Genomic sequencing demonstrated key actionable alterations across this cohort, including alterations in FGFR2, IDH1, ERRB2, PIK3CA, PTEN and KRAS. RNAseq demonstrated fusions and expression of antibody drug conjugate targets including TROP2, HER2 and Nectin4. Therapeutic matching revealed objective responses to approved and investigational agents that have been shown to have antitumor activity clinically.
Conclusions: Here, we developed a catalog of BTC PDXs which underwent comprehensive molecular profiling and therapeutic modeling. To date, this is one of the largest collections of BTC PDX models and will facilitate the development of personalized treatments for patients with these aggressive malignancies.