Therapy resistance and metastatic processes in prostate cancer (PCa) remain undefined, due to lack of experimental models that mimic different disease stages. We describe a novel androgen-dependent PCa patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model from treatment-naive, soft tissue metastasis (PNPCa). RNA and whole-exome sequencing of the PDX tissue and organoids confirmed transcriptomic and genomic similarity to primary tumor. PNPCa harbours BRCA2 and CHD1 somatic mutations, shows an SPOP-FOXA1-like transcriptomic signature and microsatellite instability, which occurs in 3% of advanced PCa and has never been modelled in vivo. Comparison of the treatment-naive PNPCa with additional metastatic PDXs (BM18, LAPC9), in a medium-throughput organoid screen of FDA-approved compounds, revealed differential drug sensitivities. Multikinase inhibitors (ponatinib, sunitinib, sorafenib) were broadly effective on all PDX- and patient-derived organoids from advanced cases with acquired resistance to standard-of-care compounds. This proof-of-principle study may provide a preclinical tool to screen drug responses to standard-of-care and newly identified, repurposed compounds.

Patient-derived xenografts and organoids model therapy response in prostate cancer