Traceable and appropriate materials

Cancer research depends on reliable model identity and reagent performance. Describe the provenance and characteristics of the cell lines, tissues, organoids, xenografts and other materials used, including supplier or source, catalog or accession number and RRID where available. A recognizable model name alone does not establish that the material used was authentic or suitable.

Cell-line authentication and contamination

Report the authentication method and the latest relevant test date. Human cell lines should be assessed by short tandem repeat profiling or another validated method suited to the material. Use appropriate characterization for non-human lines and newly established models. State the passage range or time in culture and explain how identity was maintained during the experiments.

Report the mycoplasma testing method, testing date and result relevant to the study. If authentication or testing was not performed, state this explicitly and explain the basis for relying on the model; the editor may require testing before further assessment. Check for known misidentification or contamination concerns. The AACR reproducibility resources provide useful cell-line authentication references.

Patient-derived and engineered models

For patient-derived material, describe collection, processing, inclusion criteria and permitted use, with the applicable ethics and consent statement. Organoids and xenografts should include features needed to interpret fidelity to the source tumor. Engineered cell lines require a description of editing or transduction, clonal selection, validation and appropriate controls. Avoid assuming that a single clone establishes a general biological effect.

Other reagents and availability

Identify antibodies, constructs, compounds, probes and key kits sufficiently for replication. Report validation relevant to the species, assay and experimental context; provide sequences or accessible identifiers when necessary. For novel compounds, supply the characterization needed to establish identity and suitability. Explain any restrictions on sharing research materials and the route for requesting access.

The editor may request authentication records, reagent validation or clarification of model provenance. Missing or unreliable information that undermines the central findings may prevent publication. Related requirements appear under Manuscript Preparation and Research Data & Code.