Trace, an emerging Belgian Academic PDX platform in translational cancer research

At the end of 2016, the PDX platform Trace celebrates its fourth anniversary. Trace, a KU Leuven initiative supported by many Belgian hospitals and research institutes, aims to accelerate translational cancer research by offering a predictive and reliable preclinical in vivo model. Including many tumour types, Trace succeeded to offer a large collection of extensively and unique annotated PDXs, serving the scientific community in Belgium and abroad. Many PDXs have been used in different applications showing their added value and widespread use in the ‘post cell-line xenograft era’. As a result of several excellent collaborations, Trace contributed to the publication of 3 Nature papers (Leucci et al, Nature, 2016; Thienpont et al, Nature, 2016; Byrne et al, Nature Reviews Cancer, In press). In order to continue this efforts and being able to deliver the PDX related products and services to the Belgian research society and abroad, Trace can count on the support of the Stichting tegen Kanker from now on.