<img src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/dd49052a-6f6f-481a-8860-8d84dccbdbd5?size=2" nborder="0" align="left" hspace="5" vspace="5" title="ATCC logo.jpg" alt="ATCC"/>Key takeaways <ul type="disc"><li style="margin-bottom:6pt;">First large-scale, peer-reviewed research confirms HCMI model fidelity: A study published in Nature found that patient-derived organoid models in the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Human Cancer Models Initiative (HCMI) retain 97.8% genetic concordance, 95% epigenetic concordance, and 92% transcriptional similarity to their matched source tumors, based on an analysis of 421 tumor/model pairs.</li><li style="margin-bottom:6pt;">ATCC serves a critical role as steward and provider of the HCMI collection: ATCC characterizes, authenticates, and quality-controls every model in the HCMI collection, leveraging more than a century of biological resource expertise to give researchers access to one of the most diverse sets of patient-derived cancer organoids in the world.</li><li style="margin-bottom:6pt;">ATCC applies rigorous methods to ensure the integrity of HCMI models, transforming them into valuable research tools that support gold-standard science: When lab-grown models drift from the biology of the tumors they represent, the resulting data becomes unreliable, making independent, peer-reviewed proof like this study essential to precision oncology research. ATCC’s work ensures every HCMI model accurately represents its original tumor, reducing variability, supporting reproducibility, and helping researchers move faster toward therapeutic discovery. </li></ul> MANASSAS, Va., Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A study <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=lAmGzn_zw31aI3oFL_v9CfbPTh6bUIDuaurXvH9V_ejPqLSqPtOWrkWzdMDC8d6yJo9i-VomWmutl7nCtgHZTMzmihYRSZwJ4UjKpDIm1a5QuNs0PHjSGHx5FHeXcXo7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="">published in Nature</a> provides the first large-scale, peer-reviewed evidence that the organoid models in NCI's <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=EPTcbcEMXvg-EptF7_YvKSrleUs-8pcMbY4NNy9_sqtvFMdKZH3vCvdfz4KU0_Jlh8a6Lmcbkm9-Do-zWJalYnYNKhABN3Pujng_TRA94uW6n9u5oTJHyVJuKSzd4U9I3C-j5rMOCNL6my9KU4eFQB4EBRkYk-BxkTJqb8VU_asQ6BVveR4KpZZfQigyjfP5pwRRafznpz4YQcaojfO5wWqZxFtyVQ871X9JYlYNRgQuwb_YE6hzSEaPx_al-WCqS1udEmTYwRFgS-_c03Zig_8-Vi0uICJziPQEAUBg-EP882Jl9rYHq3eN6y26dpfPczH4eBYfGK0faBSkbBMjWg==" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="HCMI">HCMI</a> collection faithfully preserve the biological identity of the human patient tumors from which they were derived. ATCC, a non-profit biological resource center, is the only authorized source of the HCMI organoid collection. Analyzing 421 matched tumor/model pairs, researchers found 97.8% concordance in genetic alterations, 95% concordance in epigenetic features, and 92% similarity in transcriptional (RNA expression) profiles between tumors and their corresponding models. For a research community that has long relied on patient-derived models with the expectation, but not always the proof, that they behave like the tumors they represent, the study closes a critical gap. “This is exactly the kind of independent, published validation of advanced models our field requires,” said Ruth Cheng, PhD, president and CEO of ATCC. “Researchers have used patient-derived models for years with the expectation that they reflect the tumor’s true biology, but large-scale evidence confirming that has been missing until now. This gives the community even greater confidence in the HCMI collection specifically, and it reflects the high standards to which we at ATCC hold ourselves for every organoid that we characterize, bank, and distribute.” Enabling next-generation therapies HCMI, a decade-long international collaboration, is one of the most extensive and diverse compendiums of next-generation cancer models in the world. It aims to advance cancer research and personalized oncology by generating up to 1,000 patient-derived cancer models coupled with rich clinical and genomic data. This new research offers systematic confirmation that those models, provided by ATCC, retain their biologic integrity even after extended growth under laboratory conditions. ATCC transforms the HCMI models into powerful research tools through standardized characterization, extensive data annotation, rigorous authentication, and quality-controlled banking, delivering authenticated models that help scientists generate reproducible results, accelerate discovery, and advance the development of more effective cancer therapies. The ATCC HCMI collection features nearly 250 patient-derived organoid models, including models of rare and difficult-to-treat cancers, paired with clinically annotated patient data such as race, age, sex, and treatment history. The underlying clinical and next-generation sequencing (NGS) genomic data are publicly available, reflecting ATCC's commitment to bridging the gap between validated models and clinical breakthroughs, including in rare cancers and cancer health disparities research. Rigor behind every model ATCC's contribution to HCMI is rooted in decades of experience in cell banking, cryopreservation, and biological materials stewardship. That expertise translates into models that retain the phenotypic, genotypic, and mutational characteristics of the original patient tumors, giving researchers confidence that laboratory findings will meaningfully reflect the biology of the disease as it exists in patients. ATCC also applies exacting characterization and quality control to every model in the collection. For researchers, that means access to organoids that are consistently authenticated, well-documented, and ready for laboratory use, reducing the risk of experimental variability and increasing confidence in research outcomes. “NCI’s partnership with ATCC and others leveraged expertise across multiple disciplines, resulting in the creation of this remarkable collection of genetic cancer subtypes, including models of rare malignancies for which few, if any, exist elsewhere,” said Louis M. Staudt, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the Lymphoid Malignancies Branch, NCI, part of the National Institutes of Health. “Because they closely resemble a patient’s tumor biopsy, both genetically and phenotypically, HCMI’s collection provides an unparalleled testing ground for investigations to advance precision cancer medicine.” A collection built to accelerate discovery When researchers evaluate cancer models, they are ultimately looking for predictive relevance, reproducibility, and confidence in their results. ATCC’s extensive <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=Gw4uLXAErLVwAWIFaGOjQWaSgI40uXC4ac4OCnaD5ACjZdkBiE-ts32lFw3Rit2wktOwyJMBte9b5szHstAVFhJRNhlhj8K6spunHhQtzVZ_2GrY5DuAnvP01l0pjsHug_Hni5jQvJw2pGapNOZ9pw5qDto4HFbeMTH7Q103s7D1z0fqTNZvtIYzZ_syz-VPoLx3xItXTXwneEG7gLK-AWZXiZzVQlQdnbsaXczOJ5YgaLh9StceBG0JUNJ2JBnUSiOY4-33PQr3JXWOSVc8MA==" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="organoid portfolio">organoid portfolio</a> delivers on each of these fronts: <ul type="disc"><li style="margin-bottom:6pt;">Biological relevance: Researchers can work with models that accurately represent the original tumor's key characteristics, providing a more clinically meaningful representation than cell lines that may have changed significantly over time.</li><li style="margin-bottom:6pt;">Data reproducibility: Well-validated models help researchers generate consistent results that can be reproduced across studies, laboratories, and time points.</li><li style="margin-bottom:6pt;">Reduced risk: Disciplined quality control and documentation minimize the risk of working with misidentified, contaminated, or poorly defined models, helping researchers avoid costly setbacks.</li><li style="margin-bottom:6pt;">Faster scientific progress: Researchers gain immediate access to authenticated, quality-controlled models that are ready for use, allowing them to spend less time establishing and validating systems and more time advancing drug discovery, biomarker identification, and translational research.</li></ul> Researchers interested in accessing ATCC's HCMI organoid models can visit <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=efsea86zWQdxhuFfrUFI1J5ExQbX_kAlHn78ePdSpUTFDmIl7g0RQbKmI26nS8ivc1BTmk-gf4gk4K8YhvDzZ1FJOtBhdHCL-BK7GQJNoZI8SPUT3hUZSR4pwZlzINIrSvcz_Oc9iV1HNygoDPMe1HpySZ38Xorehz0smrYeIL9ZlMuSxE_Yt4_bB8UkKJLo3zp4JlvRhW19AVAKj7a7GjAb3UDCEC_B4T5qsi1g_Txyh_m4U3mV2p9bcyb-tN_6F-WjbI0f4FcEQPdlwaxxRA==" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="www.atcc.org/organoids">www.atcc.org/organoids</a>. About ATCC ATCC is a premier global biological materials and information resource and standards organization and the leading developer and supplier of authenticated cell lines, microorganisms, and associated data for academia, industry, and government. With a history of scientific contributions spanning more than a century, ATCC offers an unmatched combination of being the world's largest and most diverse collection of biological reference materials and data, and is a mission-driven, trusted partner that supports and encourages scientific collaboration. ATCC products, services, partnerships, and people provide the global scientific community with credible, advanced model systems to support complex research and innovations in basic science, drug discovery, translational medicine, and public health. ATCC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Manassas, Virginia, with research and technology centers of excellence in Gaithersburg and Germantown, Maryland. Media Contact: Samantha Paro Senior Manager, Corporate Communications &amp; Public Affairs ATCC pr@atcc.org <img alt="" src='https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/ZGNlN2VmMmMtY2I2My00ZWFmLWI3ZjItMTMyODIxNTA5MTQ5LTEyMTkwODctMjAyNi0wOC0wNS1lbg==/tiny/ATCC-Partners.png' referrerpolicy='no-referrer-when-downgrade' />

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New Peer-Reviewed Research Validates ATCC's Rigorous Standards for the Human Cancer Models Initiative (HCMI) Collection

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