Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The University of Pennsylvania received a $667,041 Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) under the Cancer Biology Research program (CFDA 93.396), effective April 1, 2026, through February 28, 2031. This five-year project focuses on validation and credentialing of patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using patient-level data. The research addresses the significant clinical challenge that hepatocellular carcinoma remains the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide and the fastest-rising cause in the United States, with most patients presenting with unresectable disease at diagnosis and limited treatment response predictability.

The grant supports the development and rigorous validation of orthotopic HCC patient-derived xenograft models in rats derived from patients with unresectable disease. Deliverables include the creation of PDX models with comprehensive clinical database curation incorporating patient clinical and histologic phenotypes and treatment courses, along with establishment of robust credentialing criteria to assess biological relevance and reliability as surrogates for predicting patient therapeutic response. This research directly addresses current preclinical model limitations in recapitulating intertumoral heterogeneity and predicting patient response to emerging treatment regimens, including locoregional therapies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, thereby advancing translational research capabilities for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment development and evaluation.