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AUSTIN, Texas – July 13, 2019 – Altogen Labs today highlighted its in vivo oncology model portfolio, which supports preclinical efficacy studies across common, uncommon, rare, and biologically distinct cancer types. The company’s capabilities extend beyond frequently studied breast, lung, colorectal, pancreatic, and prostate cancers to include bladder cancer, cervical carcinoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, tongue cancer, endometrial carcinoma, thyroid cancer, mesothelioma, germ cell tumors, sarcomas, hematologic malignancies, and multiple central nervous system tumor models. The Altogen Labs model collection is designed to provide investigators with biologically relevant options for selecting tumor systems according to cancer type, histology, molecular characteristics, therapeutic target, growth kinetics, implantation site, and intended mechanism of action. Rather than relying on a small number of broadly used tumor models, preclinical programs can incorporate models selected to more closely reflect the biological characteristics of the therapeutic indication being investigated.
The company maintains extensive experience with human cell line-derived xenograft models and murine syngeneic and allograft models. Brain and central nervous system models include U87MG, U87-Luc, LN229, SF268, SF295, SF539, SNB19, U251MG, and SK-N-AS. Breast cancer studies can utilize models including MCF-7, T47D, BT474, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, MDA-MB-453, MDA-MB-157, Hs578T, KPL-4, and the murine 4T1 model. These systems provide distinct biological backgrounds that can be used to investigate hormone receptor-positive, HER2-associated, triple-negative, and other breast cancer phenotypes.
Colorectal cancer models available for preclinical studies include HCT116, HT-29, COLO205, SW480, SW620, LS174T, LoVo, DLD-1, WiDr, and KM12, together with syngeneic models such as CT26 and MC38. The availability of multiple colorectal tumor systems enables study designs incorporating different molecular backgrounds, tumor growth characteristics, and immune environments when appropriate.
The lung cancer portfolio includes A549, NCI-H460, NCI-H226, HCC827, NCI-H1975, Calu-3, Calu-6, and additional models representing different forms of non-small cell lung cancer. Molecularly defined models can be selected for targeted therapy programs where driver alterations or treatment-associated resistance mechanisms are important to experimental design. HCC827, for example, provides an EGFR-driven background suitable for evaluating EGFR-directed therapeutic strategies, while other lung cancer models provide different genomic and phenotypic contexts for testing small molecules, antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, combination therapies, and other investigational agents.
Pancreatic cancer studies using models such as AsPC-1, BxPC-3, and MIA PaCa-2; prostate cancer programs using PC-3, DU145, and LNCaP; gastric cancer studies using NCI-N87, MKN-45, HS746T, AGS, and SNU-16; and hepatocellular or liver cancer programs using Hep3B, HepG2, SK-HEP-1, SMMC-7721, H22, and Hepa1-6. Renal cancer studies can incorporate models such as 786-O, Caki-1, Caki-2, and Renca, while ovarian cancer programs may use SKOV-3, OVCAR-3, and other appropriate ovarian tumor systems. The company’s melanoma capabilities include models such as A375, A2058, and B16, while hematologic oncology studies can incorporate leukemia and lymphoma models including HL-60, K-562, MOLM-13, DOHH2, Karpas-299, Ramos, Raji, A20, and EL4. Sarcoma studies can be performed using models such as SJSA-1 and other tumor systems selected according to the specific histological and experimental requirements of the program.
A particular focus of the Altogen Labs portfolio is access to tumor types that may be less routinely available in conventional preclinical model collections. Head and neck cancer research can utilize FaDu, a widely studied head and neck squamous cell carcinoma model, while SAS provides a model relevant to tongue and oral squamous cell carcinoma. HeLa can be used in cervical carcinoma studies, and SW780 provides an established bladder cancer model.
For thyroid cancer research, Altogen Labs supports models including 8505C for anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and FTC-238 for follicular thyroid carcinoma. These models represent biologically distinct forms of thyroid malignancy and can be used to evaluate targeted therapies, cytotoxic agents, combination regimens, and other experimental treatments in disease settings where appropriate in vivo models may be more difficult to identify. Mesothelioma programs typically incorporate MSTO-211H, a biphasic malignant mesothelioma model that provides an in vivo platform for evaluating investigational agents against this relatively uncommon and therapeutically challenging malignancy. Endometrial cancer studies can use models including ECC1 and MFE280, while germ cell tumor research can incorporate NT2/NTERA-2 and related systems when appropriate to the therapeutic hypothesis.
The breadth of the model portfolio allows researchers to design studies around specific biological questions rather than selecting a tumor model solely because it is commonly available. Model selection can consider receptor expression, oncogenic drivers, signaling pathway alterations, histological subtype, metastatic potential, treatment sensitivity, resistance phenotype, and other characteristics relevant to the investigational therapeutic.
Altogen Labs establish tumor models in subcutaneous, orthotopic, and metastatic configurations depending on tumor biology and study objectives. Subcutaneous models provide a practical approach for direct serial measurement of tumor growth, while orthotopic models can provide a tumor microenvironment more closely associated with the tissue of origin. Metastatic and disseminated models may be incorporated when tumor spread, organ colonization, or systemic disease burden represents an important component of the therapeutic question. Preclinical efficacy studies can evaluate tumor growth inhibition, tumor regression, treatment response, survival, dose-response relationships, and treatment durability. Depending on study objectives, efficacy assessment can be combined with pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic sampling, blood collection, tumor and organ harvesting, necropsy, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and molecular analyses. These integrated study designs enable investigators to correlate therapeutic exposure and biological activity with changes in tumor growth and tissue-level endpoints.
The Altogen Labs in vivo oncology platform supports evaluation of small molecules, monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, bispecific and multispecific antibodies, nucleic acid therapeutics, cell-based therapies, targeted agents, conventional chemotherapeutics, and combination treatment strategies. Experimental designs can be adapted to the pharmacology and mechanism of action of each test article, including appropriate dosing schedules, comparator treatments, sample collection time points, and molecular or pathological endpoints. Altogen Labs is not limited to a fixed catalog of established tumor models. When an appropriate model is not already available within the internally validated collection, the company can develop and validate additional models according to sponsor specifications. New model development may involve commercially available tumorigenic cell lines, engineered cell lines, externally sourced tumor material, patient-derived models, metastatic variants, or other biologically appropriate systems.
This capability is particularly relevant for programs involving rare malignancies, molecularly defined cancer subsets, uncommon histological variants, acquired treatment resistance, novel therapeutic targets, or indications for which established preclinical models remain limited. Altogen Labs can evaluate model feasibility based on tumorigenicity, expected growth kinetics, implantation route, host strain, study duration, target expression, imaging requirements, and the intended efficacy or pharmacodynamic endpoints. Altogen Labs has conducted preclinical oncology research since 2009 and supports pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic research organizations developing therapeutics across a broad spectrum of cancer indications. By combining a large collection of established tumor models with custom model development, orthotopic and metastatic capabilities, imaging, pathology, molecular analysis, and integrated PK/PD endpoints, Altogen Labs provides scientists with flexible in vivo platforms for evaluating therapeutic activity across both frequently studied cancers and tumor types that are more difficult to model preclinically.
About Altogen Labs
Altogen Labs is a professional GLP-compliant contract research organization providing preclinical research services and biology CRO services worldwide. The company maintains a large collection of in-house validated xenograft models and extensive experience in efficacy xenograft studies and safety toxicology studies supporting IND applications and regulatory submissions.
Contact Information:
Altogen Labs | 11200 Menchaca Rd, Bldg 2, Suite 203 | Austin, TX 78748 USA Tel: 512-433-6177 | Email: info@altogenlabs.com | Web: altogenlabs.com