An international team of researchers has developed nearly 700 new cancer models, derived from patient tumors, to aid in drug development. These cells, which represent 25 different types of cancer, are now available for cancer researchers around the world to use. The project, known as the Human Cancer Models Initiative (HCMI), was launched in 2016 and was funded by the National Cancer Institute and the Wellcome Trust. The models were developed by converting tumor cells into organoids, which are 3D cell cultures that can survive indefinitely and mimic the genetic and molecular features of the tumors that they originally came from. The researchers analyzed the models to ensure that their genomic sequences, RNA expression, and epigenomic modifications closely matched those of the tumor cells that they were derived from. The models have been deposited at the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) and have extensive data from the patient whose cells were used to start the cell line. Blogger's Review: This research has significant implications for the development of new cancer treatments, and it is hoped that these models will facilitate the identification of new drug targets and the testing of potential new treatments. The HCMI project has made a major contribution to the field of cancer research and will likely have a lasting impact on our understanding of cancer and the development of effective treatments.