The EurOPDX Research Infrastructure publishes its PDX model Health Monitoring procedure for the wider research community.

The microbiological status of PDX models directly influences both experimental variability and animal welfare. It also imposes a risk to the personnel involved in experimentation. In order to guarantee biosecurity, ensure the quality of the PDX samples, and facilitate the transfer of samples between centres, a standardised procedure for screening the health status of PDX models is needed that is agreed amongst all connected animal facilities.

Promoting large-scale and collaborative studies amongst project partners, and beyond, is a central principle of both the EurOPDX consortium and EurOPDX Research Infrastructure. As such, efficient and effective procedures have been developed to transfer models between partners, and improved over the 6 years of the consortium’s existence.

Now, as an integral part of the quality assurance system established in the frame of the EurOPDX Research Infrastructure (EDIReX EU grant), we are able to share v1.0 of our Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which represents a health monitoring program that will meet all scientific, legal and welfare requirements.

Our health monitoring assessment SOP can be used as a reference for laboratories involved in PDX research around the world, and covers four procedural levels:

• Level 1 - Health monitoring of the animal facility of origin

• Level 2 - Health monitoring of pre-transfer PDX tissue

• Level 3 - Health monitoring of in vivo PDX tissue for biobanking procedures

• Level 4 - Health monitoring of PDX tissue at the time of an in vivo study
  
  For more information on the standards that the EurOPDX Research Infrastructure adheres to, and to download the Health monitoring SOP, please visit: [www.europdx.eu/standards](https://www.europdx.eu/standards