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DepMap (the Cancer Dependency Map portal) is an open-access research resource run from the Broad Institute that lets researchers look up which genes cancer cell models depend on, alongside omics and drug-response data. This page is for researchers, lab managers and research administrators who need to know what DepMap is, who stands behind it, how its data releases work and what to record when a project uses it. Facts below come from the portal and the Broad Institute news page, checked on 2026-11-07.
What DepMap is
The DepMap portal states its purpose as empowering the research community to make discoveries related to cancer vulnerabilities. It offers open access to cancer dependency data and to analysis and visualization tools, including a Data Explorer, whose own example compares gene expression with drug response. In practice it works as a data repository plus an interactive analysis layer: you can explore data in the browser or take the underlying files from the Downloads section.
The name is short for Dependency Map. A dependency is a gene a cell model needs in order to grow; mapping dependencies across many models is how the project looks for cancer vulnerabilities.
Who made DepMap? Who runs it?
The portal describes itself as part of a public-private partnership called the DepMap Consortium, and states that the DepMap name and logo are registered trademarks owned by The Broad Institute, Inc. The Broad Institute describes the Cancer Dependency Map Consortium (DMC) as an academic-industry collaboration that launched in late 2018 and, in a release dated 14 April 2026, announced its move into Phase 3. The Broad says Phase 3 extends beyond identifying vulnerabilities to resistance, surface targets and high-dimensional readouts. It names Francisca Vazquez as director of the Cancer Dependency Map and lists 22 industry partners, among them Roche, Servier, Takeda, Novartis and AbbVie.
How many cell lines does DepMap have?
According to the Broad Institute’s April 2026 announcement, the consortium’s second phase (DMC 2.0) grew the collection to more than 2,000 models, including three-dimensional models such as organoids and spheroids. That is the only count this page relies on. The portal’s coverage changes with each release, so a number quoted in a paper or a slide deck may not match what you see today. For the identity and culture background of two widely used lines, see HCT116 and HT-29.
What data does DepMap cover?
The portal’s announcement for its current release describes genome-wide CRISPR screens and omics data for adult and pediatric models. The Broad also describes PRISM, a drug-sensitivity screening platform, covering 400 compounds across 900 cancer cell lines. In plain terms there are three families of data:
- Gene dependency from CRISPR screens: what happens to each model when a gene is knocked out.
- Omics characterisation of the models, which lets you ask what distinguishes dependent from non-dependent models.
- Drug sensitivity from PRISM, which lets you compare chemical and genetic perturbation of the same models.
Releases and versioning
The portal says DepMap releases data bi-annually, and release names follow a year-and-quarter pattern. On 2026-11-07 the portal showed release 26Q3, which it says adds new genome-wide CRISPR screens and omics for adult and pediatric models together with an updated CRISPR pipeline. The Downloads section lets you download any dataset or past data available in the portal.
Because the data and the processing pipeline change between releases, results are only reproducible if the release is recorded. Record the release name (for example 26Q3), the dataset you used and the date you downloaded it in the methods section, the data management plan and any lab notebook entry. This is the same discipline described for computational reproducibility, and it is an editorial recommendation of this page, not a DepMap rule.
Access, bulk data and citation
Bulk data is available from the Downloads section, so scraping the portal pages is not needed. The portal links a “How to cite” section on its Data Page, so take the citation wording and any terms of use from there at the time you publish. A citation should identify the resource, the release and the access date; the data citation principle explains why, and the FAIR data principles give the wider context. For a worked example of how another large open resource handles licensing and data management planning, see Allen Brain Map data sharing and licensing.
How to use DepMap
Based on the sections labelled on the portal, a typical route is:
- Open the Data Explorer to look at a gene, a compound or a set of models in the browser; its own example compares gene expression with drug response.
- If you need the underlying files, or data from a past release, go to Downloads.
- Note the release name (for example 26Q3) and the dataset you used.
- When you publish, read the How to cite section on the Data Page and use its wording.
Strengths and limits
Strengths
- Open access, with both interactive exploration and downloadable files.
- Combines genetic dependency, omics and drug-response data on overlapping models in one place.
- Regular, named releases, so an analysis can be tied to a specific version.
- Backed by a long-running consortium of academic and industry partners.
Limits
- It describes cell models, not patients; findings in culture need independent validation before any clinical inference.
- Each release changes the data and the pipeline, so figures and rankings can differ between releases.
- The programme is an academic-industry collaboration, which is worth noting when you assess data-sharing and conflict-of-interest expectations around its use.
Alternatives
DepMap is not the only resource that describes cancer cell models. This Wellcome Sanger Institute resource is related and is listed for orientation, not ranked.
| Resource | Run by | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Cell Model Passports | Wellcome Sanger Institute | A Sanger resource on cancer cell models; check its own site for scope, data and terms before relying on it. |
If two resources report on the same model, record which one and which version you used.
Frequently asked questions
What is DepMap analysis?
DepMap analysis means using the portal’s tools or downloaded files to relate gene dependency, molecular features and drug response across cancer models, for example comparing gene expression with drug response in the Data Explorer. Whatever you run, state the release and dataset used.
How do I interpret DepMap scores?
Dependency and sensitivity scores are produced by specific processing pipelines, and the pipeline for CRISPR data was updated in the most recent release, so the meaning and scale of a score belong to a dataset and release rather than to DepMap in general. Use the portal’s documentation for the release you downloaded, and do not mix scores from different releases without saying so.
Is DepMap free to use?
The portal describes itself as open access. Check the terms and the “How to cite” section on the Data Page before redistributing or publishing derived data.
How often is DepMap updated?
Bi-annually, according to the portal.
Sources
- DepMap portal, https://depmap.org/portal/, checked 2026-11-07.
- Broad Institute, “Cancer Dependency Map Consortium launches Phase 3”, published 14 April 2026, https://www.broadinstitute.org/news/cancer-dependency-map-consortium-launches-phase-3-accelerate-next-generation-therapeutics, checked 2026-11-07.
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cell Model Passports, https://cellmodelpassports.sanger.ac.uk, checked 2026-11-07.
