Oncology Disease Models | WuXi Biology & Testing

In Vitro and Ex Vivo Oncology Models for Drug Discovery

WuXi Biology and Testing provides in vitro and ex vivo oncology models to support oncology research and drug discovery. Our extensive panel includes more than 600 authenticated and validated human cancer cell lines spanning 30+ cancer types, complemented by engineered and drug-resistant models. Rigorous cell banking, mycoplasma testing, STR verification, growth characterization, and Standard-of-Care profiling support reliable model selection and high-quality study outcomes.

Our immuno-oncology capabilities include primary immune cell profiling from tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and tissues, with analysis of immune cell populations, functional markers, and intracellular biomarkers. We also offer in vitro compound screening for potency, combination effects, and synergy, as well as soluble biomarker analysis using ELISA/CBA/MSD/Luminex/Olink and ELISPOT and molecular profiling through NanoString/RNAseq/scRNAseq.

Cancer Cell Panel Screening & In Vitro Oncology Assays

We offer a diverse line of in vitro screening panels with more than 600 authenticated, validated human cancer cell lines across 30+ cancer types. Our cancer cell line panel provides powerful tools for cancer research and drug discovery. Key features of the WuXi Biology and Testing cancer cell panel include:

High-quality cell banking system with mycoplasma-testing and STR verification
Single agent and combination compound screening for potency (% inhibition & IC50) and synergy (combination index CI)
Study design with stringent quality control
Cell growth curve and Standard of Care (SoC) validation data to support cell model selection

In addition to standard human cancer cell lines, we also offer services using:

Non-cancerous cell lines
Drug-resistant cell lines
Engineered cell lines
PDX-derived cell lines
Cell lines from other species (e.g., mouse, rat)

Human Cancer Cell Line Panel

More than 600 human cancer cell lines are available for oncology drug discovery. The cell banking system is a two-tiered system with mycoplasma testing and STR validation. Established cell growth curve data and Standard-of-Care profiling enhance overall study quality and reliability.

Synergistic Effects Of Compound X With Ibrutinib In Tmd8

Potency Correlation Of Compounds (Kinase Assay & Cell Proliferation Assay)

Immuno-Oncology

Integrated in vitro and ex vivo immuno-oncology capabilities support functional assessment of immune cells, tumor microenvironment profiling, and biomarker-driven evaluation of cancer immunotherapies.

Our immuno-oncology research capabilities include:

Immunological function assessment
Tumor microenvironment (TME) analysis
TCR/BCR repertoire analysis
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) analysis
Biomarker analysis
Mechanism of Action (MOA) exploration

Immuno-Oncology Research Capabilities

Immunological function assessment
Tumor microenvironment analysis
TCR/BCR repertoire analysis Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) analysis
Intercellular interaction analysis

Immuno-Oncology In Vitro Functional Assays

A broad range of in vitro functional assays supports the characterization of immune cell activation, differentiation, polarization, cytotoxicity, suppression, exhaustion, and compound-mediated immune responses.

Immune Cell and Tumor Microenvironment Profiling

Comprehensive immune cell profiling supports the characterization of immune cell populations, subsets, phenotypes, and functional markers across oncology and immuno-oncology studies.

Capabilities include:

Immune primary cell population profiling:
- Lymphocytes: T cells, B cells, NK cells, etc.
- T-cell subsets: CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, Tregs, Th1/Th2/Th17 cells, and naïve, memory, effector T cells, etc.
- Myeloid populations: dendritic cells (DCs), macrophages, granulocytes, monocytes, MDSCs, etc.
- Macrophage phenotypes: M1/M2 macrophages
Functional and intracellular marker analysis:
- Immune checkpoints: PD-1, PD-L1/2, CTLA-4, TIM-3, LAG-3, etc.
- Co-stimulatory markers: OX40, 4-1BB, ICOS, etc.
- Functional markers and cytokines: Ki67, IL-2, IL-17, IFN-γ, TNF-α, granzyme B, perforin, etc.

Tumor and Peripheral Immune Profiling

Ex vivo immune profiling across tumor tissues, the tumor microenvironment, lymphoid tissues, and peripheral blood supports the characterization of immune cell populations, phenotypes, activation, and differentiation.

Capabilities include:

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) analysis
- CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, MDSCs, M1/M2 macrophages, DCs, NK cells, B cells, etc.
- Tregs and Th1/Th2/Th17 subsets
- Immune and co-stimulatory markers including PD-1, TIM-3, LAG-3, OX40, and 4-1BB, etc.
Tumor microenvironment (TME) analysis
- CTLs, NK cells, Tregs, MDSCs, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs)
- Analysis by flow cytometry, IHC, and IF
Lymphoid tissue and peripheral blood analysis
- Immune-cell populations and subsets, including frequency, activation, and differentiation
- Cytokine and chemokine analysis

Biomarker Analysis

Biomarker analysis across soluble, cellular, tissue, and gene expression readouts supports characterization of treatment response and immune activity in oncology and immuno-oncology studies.

Soluble biomarkers: ELISA/CBA/MSD/Luminex/Olink, ELISpot
Cell-based biomarkers: FACS
Tissue-based biomarkers: IHC and multiplex immunofluorescence
Gene expression profiling – NanoString, RNAseq, scRNAseq, spatial transcriptome, RNAscope

Immune Profiling and Biomarker Platforms

WuXi Biology and Testing provides biomarker services for immuno-oncology research, spanning from discovery through translational and clinical studies. Our technology platform includes a CAP-certified pathology lab, a flow cytometry and molecular biology lab, all operating in strict compliance with GCP standards. Our team is composed of highly trained immunologists, board-certified pathologists, and biomarker experts.

Flow Cytometry

>40-channel flow cytometry analysis
>100 cell markers and biomarkers
Baseline TIL (tumor-infiltrating leukocytes) data from across >30 models
TIL and immune-cell subset analysis
Checkpoint/co-stimulatory marker analysis
In vitro and in vivo phospho-flow
Function analysis of immune cells
ICS for cellular immune response
Biomarker analysis
Receptor occupancy analysis
PD/PK analysis for CAR-T/TCR-T trial
High-dimensional data mining

Pathology and Multiplex Immunofluorescence

Histology and pathology: FFPE preparation/IHC/IF to support pre-clinical pathology diagnosis for drug safety assessment and efficacy evaluation
Multiplex immunofluorescence for tumor and microenvironment analysis, including
- Immune cell infiltration analysis
- Spatial and proximity analysis
- Protein localization and cellular source identification
- Complex tissue structure determination
- Evaluation of gene expression regulation
Clinical biomarker testing capabilities include:
- H&E and histology analysis
- FFPE sample processing and sectioning; IHC/ICC, IF, EHC, TCT, FISH, DISH, RNAscope, and multiplex-IF

Case Study: Optimization Of Human Tumor Dissociation Process To Eliminate Htim-3 And Hlag-3 Degradations

NanoString-Based Gene Expression Profiling

Gene expression profiling with up to 800 genes per panel
Ready-to-use panels and customized panel
Profiling of challenging sample types, including FFPE tissues, cell lysates, etc.
Panel covering key genes, pathways and biological functions in immunology/oncology

Bioinformatics Analysis

Bioinformatics analysis supports the interpretation of complex immune and molecular datasets, including cell-type identification and phenotyping, differential gene expression analysis, functional enrichment, cell-cell interaction analysis and customized analysis.

Molecular Biology Platform

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to support efficacy and safety evaluation, including target gene copy number variation in CAR-T cells and replication-competent lentivirus (RCL) testing in CAR-T studies.
Oncology molecular testing: cMET exon14 skipping and EGFR mutation analysis
Immune repertoire analysis: TCR/BCR repertoire profiling and diversity assessment
Immunophenotyping assays: Monitoring of epigenetic markers