1
|
Cong R, Lu C, Li X, Xu Z, Wang Y, Sun S. Tumor organoids in cancer medicine: from model systems to natural compound screening. PHARMACEUTICAL BIOLOGY 2025; 63:89-109. [PMID: 39893515 PMCID: PMC11789228 DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2025.2458149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2024] [Revised: 12/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2025] [Indexed: 02/04/2025]
Abstract
CONTEXT The advent of tissue engineering and biomedical techniques has significantly advanced the development of three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems, particularly tumor organoids. These self-assembled 3D cell clusters closely replicate the histopathological, genetic, and phenotypic characteristics of primary tissues, making them invaluable tools in cancer research and drug screening. OBJECTIVE This review addresses the challenges in developing in vitro models that accurately reflect tumor heterogeneity and explores the application of tumor organoids in cancer research, with a specific focus on the screening of natural products for antitumor therapies. METHODS This review synthesizes information from major databases, including Chemical Abstracts, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Abstracts, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed and Springer Link. Publications were selected without date restrictions, using terms such as 'organoid', 'natural product', 'pharmacological', 'extract', 'nanomaterial' and 'traditional uses'. Articles related to agriculture, ecology, synthetic work or published in languages other than English were excluded. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The review identifies key challenges related to the efficiency and variability of organoid generation and discusses ongoing efforts to enhance their predictive capabilities in drug screening and personalized medicine. Recent studies utilizing patient-derived organoid models for natural compound screening are highlighted, demonstrating the potential of these models in developing new classes of anticancer agents. The integration of natural products with patient-derived organoid models presents a promising approach for discovering novel anticancer compounds and elucidating their mechanisms of action.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rong Cong
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Can Lu
- Department of Pathology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xinying Li
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhijie Xu
- Department of Pathology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yaqin Wang
- Clinical Research Center for Reproduction and Genetics in Hunan Province, Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya, Changsha, China
| | - Shusen Sun
- College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Western New England University, Springfield, MA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Chen P, Zhou JB, Chu XP, Feng YY, Zeng QB, Lei JH, Wong KP, Chan TI, Lam CW, Zhu WL, Chu WK, Hu F, Luo GH, Chan KI, Deng CX. Establishing a cryopreserved biobank of living tumor tissues for drug sensitivity testing. Bioact Mater 2025; 46:582-596. [PMID: 40061435 PMCID: PMC11889390 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2024.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2025] Open
Abstract
The cryopreservation of cancer tissues to generate frozen libraries is a common practice used worldwide for storing patient samples for later applications. However, frozen samples stored by existing methods cannot be used for initiating living cell cultures, such as patient-derived tumor organoids (PDOs), which offer great potential for personalized treatment. To overcome this challenge, we developed a novel procedure for culturing PDOs using frozen live tumor tissues. We show that tumor specimens stored using this technique maintain their viability and can be successfully used to generate organoids even after long-term freezing, with an impressive success rate of 95.2 %. Importantly, we found that the structural features, tumor marker expression, and drug responses of organoids derived from frozen tissues are similar to those derived from fresh tissues. Moreover, organoids derived from frozen tissues can be routinely passaged and frozen, making them ideal for high-throughput drug screening at any time. Notably, cryopreserved tumor tissues can also be utilized in air-liquid interface (ALI) culture. This method allows for preserving the original tumor microenvironment, making it an invaluable resource for conducting tests on antitumor drug responses, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). This innovation has the potential to enable the identification of potentially effective drugs for patients and facilitate the development of novel therapeutic drugs. Thus, we have established protocols for the long-term cryopreservation of cancer tissues to maintain their viability and microenvironment, which are useful for personalized therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ping Chen
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- MOE Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
| | - Jing-Bo Zhou
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- MOE Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Xiang-Peng Chu
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- MOE Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Yang-Yang Feng
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- MOE Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Qi-Bing Zeng
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- MOE Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Josh-Haipeng Lei
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- MOE Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Ka-Pou Wong
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- MOE Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | | | | | - Wen-Li Zhu
- Kiang Wu Hospital, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | | | - Feng Hu
- Kiang Wu Hospital, Macau SAR 999078, China
| | | | | | - Chu-Xia Deng
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR 999078, China
- MOE Frontier Science Centre for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mukhare R, Gandhi KA, Kadam A, Raja A, Singh A, Madhav M, Chaubal R, Pandey S, Gupta S. Integration of Organoids With CRISPR Screens: A Narrative Review. Biol Cell 2025; 117:e70006. [PMID: 40223602 PMCID: PMC11995251 DOI: 10.1111/boc.70006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2025] [Revised: 03/05/2025] [Accepted: 03/18/2025] [Indexed: 04/15/2025]
Abstract
Organoids represent a significant advancement in disease modeling, demonstrated by their capacity to mimic the physiological/pathological structure and functional characteristics of the native tissue. Recently CRISPR/Cas9 technology has emerged as a powerful tool in combination with organoids for the development of novel therapies in preclinical settings. This review explores the current literature on applications of pooled CRISPR screening in organoids and the emerging role of these models in understanding cancer. We highlight the evolution of genome-wide CRISPR gRNA library screens in organoids, noting their increasing adoption in the field over the past decade. Noteworthy studies utilizing these screens to investigate oncogenic vulnerabilities and developmental pathways in various organoid systems are discussed. Despite the promise organoids hold, challenges such as standardization, reproducibility, and the complexity of data interpretation remain. The review also addresses the ideas of assessing tumor organoids (tumoroids) against established cancer hallmarks and the potential of studying intercellular cooperation within these models. Ultimately, we propose that organoids, particularly when personalized for patient-specific applications, could revolutionize drug screening and therapeutic approaches, minimizing the reliance on traditional animal models and enhancing the precision of clinical interventions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rushikesh Mukhare
- Clinical Genomics and Hypoxia Lab (Clinician Scientist Laboratory), Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research, and Education in CancerTata Memorial CentreNavi MumbaiMaharashtraIndia
- Training School ComplexHomi Bhabha National InstituteMumbaiMaharashtraIndia
- Department of Medical OncologyTata Memorial Hospital, Tata Memorial CentreMumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| | - Khushboo A. Gandhi
- Clinical Genomics and Hypoxia Lab (Clinician Scientist Laboratory), Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research, and Education in CancerTata Memorial CentreNavi MumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| | - Anushree Kadam
- Clinical Genomics and Hypoxia Lab (Clinician Scientist Laboratory), Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research, and Education in CancerTata Memorial CentreNavi MumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| | - Aishwarya Raja
- Clinical Genomics and Hypoxia Lab (Clinician Scientist Laboratory), Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research, and Education in CancerTata Memorial CentreNavi MumbaiMaharashtraIndia
- Training School ComplexHomi Bhabha National InstituteMumbaiMaharashtraIndia
- Department of Medical OncologyTata Memorial Hospital, Tata Memorial CentreMumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| | - Ankita Singh
- Clinical Genomics and Hypoxia Lab (Clinician Scientist Laboratory), Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research, and Education in CancerTata Memorial CentreNavi MumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| | - Mrudula Madhav
- Clinical Genomics and Hypoxia Lab (Clinician Scientist Laboratory), Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research, and Education in CancerTata Memorial CentreNavi MumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| | - Rohan Chaubal
- Clinical Genomics and Hypoxia Lab (Clinician Scientist Laboratory), Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research, and Education in CancerTata Memorial CentreNavi MumbaiMaharashtraIndia
- Training School ComplexHomi Bhabha National InstituteMumbaiMaharashtraIndia
- Department of Surgical OncologyTata Memorial Hospital, Tata Memorial CentreMumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| | - Shwetali Pandey
- Clinical Genomics and Hypoxia Lab (Clinician Scientist Laboratory), Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research, and Education in CancerTata Memorial CentreNavi MumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| | - Sudeep Gupta
- Clinical Genomics and Hypoxia Lab (Clinician Scientist Laboratory), Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research, and Education in CancerTata Memorial CentreNavi MumbaiMaharashtraIndia
- Department of Medical OncologyTata Memorial Hospital, Tata Memorial CentreMumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Yang Q, Li M, Xiao Z, Feng Y, Lei L, Li S. A New Perspective on Precision Medicine: The Power of Digital Organoids. Biomater Res 2025; 29:0171. [PMID: 40129676 PMCID: PMC11931648 DOI: 10.34133/bmr.0171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2025] [Accepted: 03/04/2025] [Indexed: 03/26/2025] Open
Abstract
Precision medicine is a personalized medical model based on the individual's genome, phenotype, and lifestyle that provides tailored treatment plans for patients. In this context, tumor organoids, a 3-dimensional preclinical model based on patient-derived tumor cell self-organization, combined with digital analysis methods, such as high-throughput sequencing and image processing technology, can be used to analyze the genome, transcriptome, and cellular heterogeneity of tumors, so as to accurately track and assess the growth process, genetic characteristics, and drug responsiveness of tumor organoids, thereby facilitating the implementation of precision medicine. This interdisciplinary approach is expected to promote the innovation of cancer diagnosis and enhance personalized treatment. In this review, the characteristics and culture methods of tumor organoids are summarized, and the application of multi-omics, such as bioinformatics and artificial intelligence, and the digital methods of organoids in precision medicine research are discussed. Finally, this review explores the main causes and potential solutions for the bottleneck in the clinical translation of digital tumor organoids, proposes the prospects of multidisciplinary cooperation and clinical transformation to narrow the gap between laboratory and clinical settings, and provides references for research and development in this field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qian Yang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital,
Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Mengmeng Li
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital,
Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Zian Xiao
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital,
Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Yekai Feng
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital,
Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Lanjie Lei
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Organs and Computational Medicine in Zhejiang Province, Institute of Translational Medicine,
Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou 310015, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shisheng Li
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital,
Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Urano T, Yokota E, Iwai M, Yukawa T, Naomoto Y, Takigawa N, Fujiwara H, Akiyama T, Haisa M, Fukazawa T, Yamatsuji T. Establishment and characterization of novel patient-derived esophageal tumoroids with long-term cultivability. Hum Cell 2025; 38:72. [PMID: 40108093 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-025-01206-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2025] [Indexed: 03/22/2025]
Abstract
Esophageal cancer is an aggressive and fatal disease classified into two distinct histologic types: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). To develop novel therapeutic strategies, it is important to establish preclinical models of esophageal carcinoma. In this study, we successfully established three types of human esophageal cancer organoids (tumoroids) from surgical specimens for long-term culture. Two of the tumoroids were derived from ESCC and one from EAC, which arose from Barrett's esophagus. Whole-exome sequencing revealed that the tumoroids inherited genetic mutations from the parental tumors and patient-derived tumor xenografts closely mimicked the pathology of the original esophageal cancers. In addition to whole-exome analysis, copy number and immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated HER2 expression and amplification as well as HER3 expression and mutation in esophageal tumoroids derived from adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus. HER2-targeting antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd), and patritumab deruxtecan (P-DXd) effectively suppressed the viability of the tumoroids. Therefore, the establishment of esophageal tumoroids with long-term cultivability makes it possible to obtain reproducible basic data, including drug sensitivity studies, which are important for the development of personalized therapies and treatment strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Urano
- Department of General Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, 700-8505, Japan
| | - Etsuko Yokota
- Department of General Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, 700-8505, Japan
| | - Miki Iwai
- General Medical Center Research Unit, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, 700-8505, Japan
| | - Takuro Yukawa
- Department of General Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, 700-8505, Japan
| | - Yoshio Naomoto
- Department of General Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, 700-8505, Japan
| | - Nagio Takigawa
- General Medical Center Research Unit, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, 700-8505, Japan
- Department of General Internal Medicine 4, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, 700-8505, Japan
| | - Hideyo Fujiwara
- Department of Pathology, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, 700-8505, Japan
| | - Takashi Akiyama
- Department of Pathology, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, 700-8505, Japan
| | - Minoru Haisa
- Kawasaki Medical School General Medical Center, Okayama, 700-8505, Japan
| | - Takuya Fukazawa
- Department of General Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, 700-8505, Japan.
- General Medical Center Research Unit, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, 700-8505, Japan.
| | - Tomoki Yamatsuji
- Department of General Surgery, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, 700-8505, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hu Y, Peng Z, Qiu M, Xue L, Ren H, Wu X, Zhu X, Ding Y. Developing biotechnologies in organoids for liver cancer. BIOMEDICAL TECHNOLOGY 2025; 9:100067. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmt.2024.100067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2025]
|
7
|
Kalla J, Pfneissl J, Mair T, Tran L, Egger G. A systematic review on the culture methods and applications of 3D tumoroids for cancer research and personalized medicine. Cell Oncol (Dordr) 2025; 48:1-26. [PMID: 38806997 PMCID: PMC11850459 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-024-00960-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease, and thus treatment responses vary greatly between patients. To improve therapy efficacy and outcome for cancer patients, more representative and patient-specific preclinical models are needed. Organoids and tumoroids are 3D cell culture models that typically retain the genetic and epigenetic characteristics, as well as the morphology, of their tissue of origin. Thus, they can be used to understand the underlying mechanisms of cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis in a more physiological setting. Additionally, co-culture methods of tumoroids and cancer-associated cells can help to understand the interplay between a tumor and its tumor microenvironment. In recent years, tumoroids have already helped to refine treatments and to identify new targets for cancer therapy. Advanced culturing systems such as chip-based fluidic devices and bioprinting methods in combination with tumoroids have been used for high-throughput applications for personalized medicine. Even though organoid and tumoroid models are complex in vitro systems, validation of results in vivo is still the common practice. Here, we describe how both animal- and human-derived tumoroids have helped to identify novel vulnerabilities for cancer treatment in recent years, and how they are currently used for precision medicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Kalla
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Janette Pfneissl
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Theresia Mair
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Loan Tran
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Applied Diagnostics, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gerda Egger
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Applied Diagnostics, Vienna, Austria.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Paul CD, Yankaskas C, Shahi Thakuri P, Balhouse B, Salen S, Bullock A, Beam S, Chatman A, Djikeng S, Yang XJ, Wong G, Dey I, Holmes S, Dockey A, Bailey-Steinitz L, Zheng L, Li W, Chandra V, Nguyen J, Sharp J, Willems E, Kennedy M, Dallas MR, Kuninger D. Long-term maintenance of patient-specific characteristics in tumoroids from six cancer indications. Sci Rep 2025; 15:3933. [PMID: 39890889 PMCID: PMC11785764 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-86979-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2025] [Indexed: 02/03/2025] Open
Abstract
Tumoroids, sometimes referred to as cancer organoids, are patient-derived cancer cells grown as 3D, self-organized multicellular structures that maintain key characteristics (e.g., genotype, gene expression levels) of the tumor from which they originated. These models have emerged as valuable tools for studying tumor biology, cytotoxicity, and response of patient-derived cells to cancer therapies. However, the establishment and maintenance of tumoroids has historically been challenging, labor intensive, and highly variable from lab to lab, hindering their widespread use. Here, we characterize the establishment and/or expansion of colorectal, lung, head and neck, breast, pancreas, and endometrial tumoroids using the standardized, serum-free Gibco OncoPro Tumoroid Culture Medium. Newly derived tumoroid lines (n = 20) were analyzed by targeted genomic profiling and RNA sequencing and were representative of tumor tissue samples. Tumoroid lines were stable for over 250 days in culture and freeze-thaw competent. Previously established tumoroid lines were also transitioned to OncoPro medium and exhibited, on average, similar growth rates and conserved donor-specific characteristics when compared to original media systems. Additionally, OncoPro medium was compatible with both embedded culture in extracellular matrix and growth in a suspension format for facile culture and scale up. An example application of these models for assessing the cytotoxicity of a natural killer cell line and primary natural killer cells over time and at various doses demonstrated the compatibility of these models with assays used in compound and cell therapy development. We anticipate that the standardization and versatility of this approach will have important benefits for basic cancer research, drug discovery, and personalized medicine and help make tumoroid models more accessible to the cancer research community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Sylvia Beam
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Frederick, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Isha Dey
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | | | | | | | - Lina Zheng
- Thermo Fisher Scientific, Carlsbad, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Sui Z, Wu X, Wang J, Tan S, Zhao C, Yu Z, Wu C, Wang X, Guo L. Mesenchymal stromal cells promote the formation of lung cancer organoids via Kindlin-2. Stem Cell Res Ther 2025; 16:7. [PMID: 39789648 PMCID: PMC11715222 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-024-04128-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 12/21/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patient-derived lung cancer organoids (PD-LCOs) demonstrate exceptional potential in preclinical testing and serve as a promising model for the multimodal management of lung cancer. However, certain lung cancer cells derived from patients exhibit limited capacity to generate organoids due to inter-tumor or intra-tumor variability. To overcome this limitation, we have created an in vitro system that employs mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) or fibroblasts to serve as a supportive scaffold for lung cancer cells that do not form organoids. METHODS We successfully established an MSCs/fibroblast co-culture system to form LCOs. We analyzed the morphological and histological similarities between LCOs co-cultured with fibroblast and primary lung cancer lesions through HE and IF staining. We evaluated whether LCOs co-cultured with fibroblast retained the original genetic mutations of their source tumors based on WES. RNA sequencing was used to analyze the differences in gene expression profiles between LCOs co-cultured with fibroblast and paracancerous organoids (POs). Importantly, we have successfully validated the impact of Kindlin-2 on the regulation of MSCs in organoid formation through lentiviral vector-mediated interference or overexpression of kindlin-2. RESULTS Our findings demonstrate that the addition of MSCs/fibroblasts to three tumor samples, initially incapable of forming organoids by traditional methods, successfully facilitated the cultivation of tumor organoids. Importantly, these organoids co-cultured with fibroblast faithfully recapitulate the tissue morphology of original lung tumors and replicate the genetic profile observed in the parental tumors even after prolonged in vitro culture. Moreover, drug responses exhibited by these organoids co-cultured with MSCs/fibroblasts are consistent with those observed in the original tumors. Mechanistically, we have also identified kindlin-2 as a crucial regulator linking extracellular matrix (ECM) and mitochondria that influence MSC/fibroblast-mediated support for tumor organoid formation. CONCLUSION The results obtained from our research enhance the understanding of the mechanisms implicated in the formation of tumor organoids and aid in creating stronger patient-specific tumor organoid models. This advancement supports the refinement of personalized drug response assessments for use in clinical settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhilin Sui
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Precision Medicine for Cancers, Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, 518116, China
| | - Xianxian Wu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Precision Medicine for Cancers, Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, 518116, China
| | - Jiaxin Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Precision Medicine for Cancers, Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, 518116, China
| | - ShihJye Tan
- Department of Biology, and Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Chao Zhao
- Institute of Scientific Instrumentation, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Zhentao Yu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Precision Medicine for Cancers, Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, 518116, China
| | - Chuanyue Wu
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
| | - Xiaoxiao Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Shenzhen Technology University, Shenzhen, 518118, China.
- Department of Biology, and Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| | - Ling Guo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Epigenetics and Precision Medicine for Cancers, Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, 518116, China.
- Department of Biology, and Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Zhu Z, Cheng Y, Liu X, Ding W, Liu J, Ling Z, Wu L. Advances in the Development and Application of Human Organoids: Techniques, Applications, and Future Perspectives. Cell Transplant 2025; 34:9636897241303271. [PMID: 39874083 PMCID: PMC11775963 DOI: 10.1177/09636897241303271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 10/10/2024] [Accepted: 11/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2025] Open
Abstract
Organoids are three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures derived from human pluripotent stem cells or adult stem cells that recapitulate the cellular heterogeneity, structure, and function of human organs. These microstructures are invaluable for biomedical research due to their ability to closely mimic the complexity of native tissues while retaining human genetic material. This fidelity to native organ systems positions organoids as a powerful tool for advancing our understanding of human biology and for enhancing preclinical drug testing. Recent advancements have led to the successful development of a variety of organoid types, reflecting a broad range of human organs and tissues. This progress has expanded their application across several domains, including regenerative medicine, where organoids offer potential for tissue replacement and repair; disease modeling, which allows for the study of disease mechanisms and progression in a controlled environment; drug discovery and evaluation, where organoids provide a more accurate platform for testing drug efficacy and safety; and microecological research, where they contribute to understanding the interactions between microbes and host tissues. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the historical development of organoid technology, highlights the key achievements and ongoing challenges in the field, and discusses the current and emerging applications of organoids in both laboratory research and clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhangcheng Zhu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yiwen Cheng
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xia Liu
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenwen Ding
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Jiaming Liu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Management, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zongxin Ling
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lingbin Wu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lishui Second People’s Hospital, Lishui, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Taurin S, Alzahrani R, Aloraibi S, Ashi L, Alharmi R, Hassani N. Patient-derived tumor organoids: A preclinical platform for personalized cancer therapy. Transl Oncol 2025; 51:102226. [PMID: 39622151 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.102226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2024] [Revised: 11/21/2024] [Accepted: 11/28/2024] [Indexed: 12/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTOs) represent a significant advancement in cancer research and personalized medicine. These organoids, derived from various cancer types, have shown the ability to retain the genetic and molecular characteristics of the original tumors, allowing for the detailed study of tumor biology and drug responses on an individual basis. The success rates of establishing PDTOs vary widely and are influenced by factors such as cancer type, tissue quality, and media composition. Furthermore, the dynamic nature of organoid cultures may also lead to unique molecular characteristics that deviate from the original tumors, affecting their interpretation in clinical settings without the implementation of rigorous validation and establishment of standardized protocols. Recent studies have supported the correlation between PDTOs and the corresponding patient response. Although these studies involved a small number of patients, they promoted the integration of PDTOs in observational and interventional clinical trials to advance translational cancer therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastien Taurin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Princess Al-Jawhara Center for Molecular Medicine and Inherited Disorders, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain.
| | - Reem Alzahrani
- Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Princess Al-Jawhara Center for Molecular Medicine and Inherited Disorders, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
| | - Sahar Aloraibi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Princess Al-Jawhara Center for Molecular Medicine and Inherited Disorders, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
| | - Layal Ashi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Princess Al-Jawhara Center for Molecular Medicine and Inherited Disorders, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
| | - Rawan Alharmi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Princess Al-Jawhara Center for Molecular Medicine and Inherited Disorders, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
| | - Noora Hassani
- Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Princess Al-Jawhara Center for Molecular Medicine and Inherited Disorders, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Shen S, Liu B, Guan W, Liu Z, Han Y, Hu Y, Chen Y, Liu S, He J, Li Z, Tang W, Zhang P, Ren W, Qiu Y, Zheng H, Li J. Advancing precision medicine in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma using patient-derived organoids. J Transl Med 2024; 22:1168. [PMID: 39741269 PMCID: PMC11686971 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05967-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2024] [Accepted: 12/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/02/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) represent a promising approach for replicating the characteristics of original tumors and facilitating drug testing for personalized treatments across diverse cancer types. However, clinical evidence regarding their application to esophageal cancer remains limited. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of implementing PDOs in clinical practice to benefit patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS Fresh surgical biopsies were obtained from patients with esophageal cancer for the establishment of PDOs. These PDOs were subsequently characterized through histological analysis. A customized drug panel, based on standard-of-care chemotherapy regimens, was applied to the PDOs. The resulting drug sensitivity profiles were then correlated with the clinical responses observed in individual patients undergoing actual treatment. RESULTS A total of 34 PDOs were successfully established with a 61.8% success rate. The classification method based on chemotherapy sensitivity closely corresponded to clinical responses. The paclitaxel plus cisplatin (TP)-sensitive group demonstrated significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) compared to the resistant groups, Hazard ratio (HR), 5.12; 95% confidence intervals (CI 0.58-44.71; p < 0.05), thus illustrating the potential of this approach for guiding personalized treatment strategies. CONCLUSION Organoid biobanks were established across multiple institutes to facilitate PDOs-based functional precision medicine. The findings demonstrate that this framework offers robust predictive value in clinical settings, enhances precision therapeutics, and advances drug discovery for esophageal cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Suya Shen
- Department of Pancreatic and Metabolic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Bing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Wenyan Guan
- Department of Pathology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ziyao Liu
- Department of Precision Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuqing Han
- Department of Pancreatic and Metabolic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Yingzhe Hu
- Department of Pancreatic and Metabolic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yiqiang Chen
- Department of Precision Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China
| | - Siyuan Liu
- Department of Precision Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jian He
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhiwen Li
- Department of Pathology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China
| | - Weifeng Tang
- Department of Esophageal Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, NanjingJiangsu, 210008, China
| | - Pengju Zhang
- Zhejiang Honray Medical Technology Co., LTD, Taizhou, 318001, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wei Ren
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center of Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University & Clinical Cancer Institute of Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Yudong Qiu
- Department of Pancreatic and Metabolic Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China.
| | - Hongping Zheng
- Zhejiang Honray Medical Technology Co., LTD, Taizhou, 318001, Zhejiang, China.
- Shanghai Institute for Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Technologies, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Jingjing Li
- Department of Precision Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Stevenson L, Cairns L, Li X, Jammula S, Taylor H, Douglas R, McCabe N, Gavory G, Jacq X, Fitzgerald RC, Kennedy RD, Harrison T, Turkington RC. Inhibition of AKT enhances chemotherapy efficacy and synergistically interacts with targeting of the Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins in oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Sci Rep 2024; 14:32121. [PMID: 39739112 PMCID: PMC11686190 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-83912-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 12/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/02/2025] Open
Abstract
The incidence of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) has risen six-fold in western countries over the last forty years but survival rates have only marginally improved. Hyperactivation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway is a common occurrence in OAC, driving cell survival, proliferation and resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. Inhibition of AKT has been explored as a treatment strategy with limited success and current inhibitors have failed to progress through clinical trials. Our study, describes a novel allosteric AKT inhibitor, ALM301, and demonstrates an enhancement of the efficacy of conventional chemotherapy when combined with ALM301 in OAC. Reduced sensitivity to ALM301 is associated with high expression of the Inhibitor of Apoptosis (IAP) family of proteins, particularly XIAP. Combined AKT and IAP inhibition synergistically enhanced OAC cell death and successfully re-sensitized ALM301 and chemotherapy resistant cell lines. A high degree of synergism was also observed in patient-derived OAC organoids indicating the potential clinical relevance of the combination. This study demonstrates the role for dual AKT/IAP inhibition in OAC and provides a strong rationale for the further investigation of this highly efficacious combination strategy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leanne Stevenson
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - Lauren Cairns
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - Xiaodun Li
- MRC Cancer Unit, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sriganesh Jammula
- MRC Cancer Unit, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Harriet Taylor
- MRC Cancer Unit, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rosalie Douglas
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - Niamh McCabe
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | | | - Xavier Jacq
- Almac Discovery Ltd, Craigavon, Northern Ireland
| | - Rebecca C Fitzgerald
- MRC Cancer Unit, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Richard C Turkington
- Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Sharpe BP, Nazlamova LA, Tse C, Johnston DA, Thomas J, Blyth R, Pickering OJ, Grace B, Harrington J, Rajak R, Rose-Zerilli M, Walters ZS, Underwood TJ. Patient-derived tumor organoid and fibroblast assembloid models for interrogation of the tumor microenvironment in esophageal adenocarcinoma. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2024; 4:100909. [PMID: 39610249 PMCID: PMC11704619 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2024.100909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 11/06/2024] [Indexed: 11/30/2024]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) comprises all non-tumor elements of cancer and strongly influences disease progression and phenotype. To understand tumor biology and accurately test new therapeutic strategies, representative models should contain both tumor cells and normal cells of the TME. Here, we describe and characterize co-culture tumor-derived organoids and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), a major component of the TME, in matrix-embedded assembloid models of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). We demonstrate that the assembloid models faithfully recapitulate the differentiation status of EAC and different CAF phenotypes found in the EAC patient TME. We evaluate cell phenotypes by combining tissue-clearing techniques with whole-mount immunofluorescence and histology, providing a practical framework for the characterization of cancer assembloids.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin P Sharpe
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Liliya A Nazlamova
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; Early Cancer Institute, University of Cambridge, Department of Oncology, Box 197 Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Hills Road, Cambridge SB2 0XZ, UK
| | - Carmen Tse
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - David A Johnston
- Biomedical Imaging Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Jaya Thomas
- Bio-R Bioinformatics Research Facility, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Rhianna Blyth
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Oliver J Pickering
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Ben Grace
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Jack Harrington
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Rushda Rajak
- University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Matthew Rose-Zerilli
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Zoe S Walters
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Tim J Underwood
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; Bio-R Bioinformatics Research Facility, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Zhang Y, Qi F, Chen P, Liu BF, Li Y. Spatially defined microenvironment for engineering organoids. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2024; 5:041302. [PMID: 39679203 PMCID: PMC11646138 DOI: 10.1063/5.0198848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 10/01/2024] [Indexed: 12/17/2024]
Abstract
In the intricately defined spatial microenvironment, a single fertilized egg remarkably develops into a conserved and well-organized multicellular organism. This observation leads us to hypothesize that stem cells or other seed cell types have the potential to construct fully structured and functional tissues or organs, provided the spatial cues are appropriately configured. Current organoid technology, however, largely depends on spontaneous growth and self-organization, lacking systematic guided intervention. As a result, the structures replicated in vitro often emerge in a disordered and sparse manner during growth phases. Although existing organoids have made significant contributions in many aspects, such as advancing our understanding of development and pathogenesis, aiding personalized drug selection, as well as expediting drug development, their potential in creating large-scale implantable tissue or organ constructs, and constructing multicomponent microphysiological systems, together with functioning at metabolic levels remains underutilized. Recent discoveries have demonstrated that the spatial definition of growth factors not only induces directional growth and migration of organoids but also leads to the formation of assembloids with multiple regional identities. This opens new avenues for the innovative engineering of higher-order organoids. Concurrently, the spatial organization of other microenvironmental cues, such as physical stresses, mechanical loads, and material composition, has been minimally explored. This review delves into the burgeoning field of organoid engineering with a focus on potential spatial microenvironmental control. It offers insight into the molecular principles, expected outcomes, and potential applications, envisioning a future perspective in this domain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yilan Zhang
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Fukang Qi
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Peng Chen
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Bi-Feng Liu
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Yiwei Li
- The Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics of MOE at Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics-Hubei Bioinformatics and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Bhat N, Al-Mathkour M, Maacha S, Lu H, El-Rifai W, Ballout F. Esophageal adenocarcinoma models: a closer look. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1440670. [PMID: 39600303 PMCID: PMC11589788 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1440670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 10/30/2024] [Indexed: 11/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is a subtype of esophageal cancer with significant morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Despite advancements in tumor models, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms driving EAC pathogenesis are still poorly understood. Therefore, gaining insights into these mechanisms is crucial for improving patient outcomes. Researchers have developed various models to better understand EAC and evaluate clinical management strategies. However, no single model fully recapitulates the complexity of EAC. Emerging technologies, such as patient-derived organoids and immune-competent mouse models, hold promise for personalized EAC research and drug development. In this review, we shed light on the various models for studying EAC and discuss their advantages and limitations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nadeem Bhat
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Marwah Al-Mathkour
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Selma Maacha
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Heng Lu
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Wael El-Rifai
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Miami Healthcare System, Miami, FL, United States
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Farah Ballout
- Department of Surgery, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Tong L, Cui W, Zhang B, Fonseca P, Zhao Q, Zhang P, Xu B, Zhang Q, Li Z, Seashore-Ludlow B, Yang Y, Si L, Lundqvist A. Patient-derived organoids in precision cancer medicine. MED 2024; 5:1351-1377. [PMID: 39341206 DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2024.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Abstract
Organoids are three-dimensional (3D) cultures, normally derived from stem cells, that replicate the complex structure and function of human tissues. They offer a physiologically relevant model to address important questions in cancer research. The generation of patient-derived organoids (PDOs) from various human cancers allows for deeper insights into tumor heterogeneity and spatial organization. Additionally, interrogating non-tumor stromal cells increases the relevance in studying the tumor microenvironment, thereby enhancing the relevance of PDOs in personalized medicine. PDOs mark a significant advancement in cancer research and patient care, signifying a shift toward more innovative and patient-centric approaches. This review covers aspects of PDO cultures to address the modeling of the tumor microenvironment, including extracellular matrices, air-liquid interface and microfluidic cultures, and organ-on-chip. Specifically, the role of PDOs as preclinical models in gene editing, molecular profiling, drug testing, and biomarker discovery and their potential for guiding personalized treatment in clinical practice are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Le Tong
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Weiyingqi Cui
- Chemical Biology Consortium Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Boya Zhang
- Organcare (Shenzhen) Biotechnology Company, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pedro Fonseca
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Qian Zhao
- Organcare (Shenzhen) Biotechnology Company, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Organcare (Shenzhen) Biotechnology Company, Shenzhen, China
| | - Beibei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qisi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhen Li
- Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | | | - Ying Yang
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, International Institutes of Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, China
| | - Longlong Si
- Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Andreas Lundqvist
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Bar-Hai N, Ben-Yishay R, Arbili-Yarhi S, Herman N, Avidan-Noy V, Menes T, Mansour A, Awwad F, Balint-Lahat N, Goldinger G, Hout-Siloni G, Adileh M, Berger R, Ishay-Ronen D. Modeling epithelial-mesenchymal transition in patient-derived breast cancer organoids. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1470379. [PMID: 39469640 PMCID: PMC11513879 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1470379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 10/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Cellular plasticity is enhanced by dedifferentiation processes such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The dynamic and transient nature of EMT-like processes challenges the investigation of cell plasticity in patient-derived breast cancer models. Here, we utilized patient-derived organoids (PDOs) as a model to study the susceptibility of primary breast cancer cells to EMT. Upon induction with TGF-β, PDOs exhibited EMT-like features, including morphological changes, E-cadherin downregulation and cytoskeletal reorganization, leading to an invasive phenotype. Image analysis and the integration of deep learning algorithms enabled the implantation of microscopy-based quantifications demonstrating repetitive results between organoid lines from different breast cancer patients. Interestingly, epithelial plasticity was also expressed in terms of alterations in luminal and myoepithelial distribution upon TGF-β induction. The effective modeling of dynamic processes such as EMT in organoids and their characteristic spatial diversity highlight their potential to advance research on cancer cell plasticity in cancer patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neta Bar-Hai
- Oncology Institute, Shaba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | | | - Naama Herman
- Department of General Surgery, Shaba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Vered Avidan-Noy
- Department of General Surgery, Shaba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Tehillah Menes
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of General Surgery, Shaba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Aiham Mansour
- Department of General Surgery, Shaba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Fahim Awwad
- Department of General Surgery, Shaba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | | | - Gil Goldinger
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Institute of Pathology, Shaba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | | | - Mohammad Adileh
- Department of Surgery, Mount Scopus, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Raanan Berger
- Oncology Institute, Shaba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Dana Ishay-Ronen
- Oncology Institute, Shaba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Vasiliadou I, Cattaneo C, Chan PYK, Henley-Smith R, Gregson-Williams H, Collins L, Wojewodka G, Guerrero-Urbano T, Jeannon JP, Connor S, Davis J, Pasto A, Mustapha R, Ng T, Kong A. Correlation of the treatment sensitivity of patient-derived organoids with treatment outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer (SOTO): protocol for a prospective observational study. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e084176. [PMID: 39389599 PMCID: PMC11474813 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-084176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/12/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Organoids have been successfully used in several areas of cancer research and large living biobanks of patient-derived organoids (PDOs) have been developed from various malignancies. The characteristics of the original tumour tissue such as mutation signatures, phenotype and genetic diversity are well preserved in organoids, thus showing promising results for the use of this model in translational research. In this study, we aim to assess whether we can generate PDOs from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) samples and whether PDOs can be used to predict treatment sensitivity in HNSCC patients as well as to explore potential biomarkers. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This is a prospective observational study at a single centre (Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust) to generate PDOs from patients' samples to assess treatment response and to correlate with patients' treatment outcomes. Patients will be included if they are diagnosed with HNSCC undergoing curative treatment (primary surgery or radiotherapy) or presenting with recurrent or metastatic cancers and they will be categorised into three groups (cohort 1: primary surgery, cohort 2: primary radiotherapy and cohort 3: recurrent/metastatic disease). Research tumour samples will be collected and processed into PDOs and chemosensitivity/radiosensitivity will be assessed using established methods. Moreover, blood and other biological samples (eg, saliva) will be collected at different time intervals during treatment and will be processed in the laboratory for plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) isolation. Plasma and saliva will be used for circulating tumour DNA analysis and PBMC will be stored for assessment of the peripheral immune characteristics of the patients as well as to perform co-culture experiments with PDOs. SOTO study (correlation of the treatment Sensitivity of patient-derived Organoids with Treatment Outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer) uses the collaboration of several specialties in head and neck cancer and has the potential to explore multiple areas of research with the aim of offering a valid and effective approach to personalised medicine for cancer patients. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This study was approved by North West-Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee (REC Ref: 22/NW/0023) on 21 March 2022. An informed consent will be obtained from all participants prior to inclusion in the study. Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and presentations at international conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT05400239.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Rhonda Henley-Smith
- Head and Neck Pathology, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Lisette Collins
- Head and Neck Pathology, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK
| | | | | | | | - Steve Connor
- Head and Neck Radiology, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Jessica Davis
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Anna Pasto
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rami Mustapha
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tony Ng
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Anthony Kong
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre, King's College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Kim SE, Yun S, Doh J, Kim HN. Imaging-Based Efficacy Evaluation of Cancer Immunotherapy in Engineered Tumor Platforms and Tumor Organoids. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2400475. [PMID: 38815251 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202400475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is used to treat tumors by modulating the immune system. Although the anticancer efficacy of cancer immunotherapy has been evaluated prior to clinical trials, conventional in vivo animal and endpoint models inadequately replicate the intricate process of tumor elimination and reflect human-specific immune systems. Therefore, more sophisticated models that mimic the complex tumor-immune microenvironment must be employed to assess the effectiveness of immunotherapy. Additionally, using real-time imaging technology, a step-by-step evaluation can be applied, allowing for a more precise assessment of treatment efficacy. Here, an overview of the various imaging-based evaluation platforms recently developed for cancer immunotherapeutic applications is presented. Specifically, a fundamental technique is discussed for stably observing immune cell-based tumor cell killing using direct imaging, a microwell that reproduces a confined space for spatial observation, a droplet assay that facilitates cell-cell interactions, and a 3D microphysiological system that reconstructs the vascular environment. Furthermore, it is suggested that future evaluation platforms pursue more human-like immune systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seong-Eun Kim
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, South Korea
| | - Suji Yun
- Interdisciplinary Program for Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - Junsang Doh
- Interdisciplinary Program for Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Research Institute of Advanced Materials, Institute of Engineering Research, Bio-MAX institute, Soft Foundry Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, South Korea
| | - Hong Nam Kim
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, South Korea
- Division of Bio-Medical Science and Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
- Yonsei-KIST Convergence Research Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Zhu X, Trehan R, Xie C. Primary liver cancer organoids and their application to research and therapy. JOURNAL OF THE NATIONAL CANCER CENTER 2024; 4:195-202. [PMID: 39281720 PMCID: PMC11401492 DOI: 10.1016/j.jncc.2024.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Primary liver cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. To create advanced treatments for primary liver cancer, studies have utilized models such as 2D cell culture and in vivo animal models. Recent developments in cancer organoids have created the possibility for 3D in vitro cultures that recapitulates the cancer cell structure and operation as well as the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, before organoids can be directly translated to clinical use, tissue processing and culture medium must be standardized with unified protocols to decrease variability in results. Herein, we present the wide variety of published methodologies used to derive liver cancer organoids from patient tumor tissues. Additionally, we summarize validation methodologies for organoids in terms of marker expression levels with immunohistochemistry as well as the presence of mutations and variants through RNA-sequencing. Primary liver cancer organoids have exciting applications allowing for faster drug testing at a larger scale. Primary liver cancer organoids also assisit in uncovering new mechanisms. Through the coculture of different immune cells and cancer organoids, organoids are now better able to recapitulate the liver cancer TME. In addition, it further aids in the investigation of drug development and drug resistance. Lastly, we posit that the usage of liver cancer organoids in animal models provides researchers a methodology to overcome the current limitations of culture systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobin Zhu
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Rajiv Trehan
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Changqing Xie
- Thoracic and GI Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Kostic L, Leung C, Ahmad Murad K, Kancheva S, Perna S, Lee B, Barker N. Lgr5 marks stem/progenitor cells contributing to epithelial and muscle development in the mouse esophagus. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7145. [PMID: 39164270 PMCID: PMC11335976 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51559-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The existence and function of Lgr5+ cells within the developing esophagus remains unknown. Here, we document multiple discrete Lgr5+ populations in the developing mouse esophagus, predominantly within nascent epithelial and external muscle layers. Lgr5 expression initially emerges in the developing proximal embryonic epithelium, but progressively extends distally and persists within the distal epithelium of neonates. Fate mapping and ablation analyses reveal a long-term contribution of epithelial Lgr5+ cells to esophageal organogenesis. Additionally, Lgr5-expressing cells are present in the developing external muscle layer, particularly during the development of the striated component. Fate mapping reveals a significant contribution of these embryonic Lgr5+ cells to the adult muscle layer. Embryonic Lgr5+ epithelial cells are also found to be important for regulating epithelial development, serving as a key source of Wnt6, among other ligands, to promote epithelial cell proliferation and formation of epithelial layers. These findings significantly enhance our understanding of esophageal development and shed light on the involvement of Lgr5+ stem/progenitor cells during organogenesis. Importantly, this study lays the foundation for investigating esophageal diseases related to the Lgr5+ stem/progenitor cell pool.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lana Kostic
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Carly Leung
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Katzrin Ahmad Murad
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Snezhina Kancheva
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Stefano Perna
- Centre for Biomedical Informatics, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 59 Nanyang Drive, Experimental Medicine, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bernett Lee
- Centre for Biomedical Informatics, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 59 Nanyang Drive, Experimental Medicine, Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Singapore, Singapore
- Infectious Disease Labs (ID Labs), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Singapore, Singapore
- Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, 90 Yishun Central, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nick Barker
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)61 Biopolis Drive, Proteos, Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Yang Z, Yu J, Wong CC. Gastrointestinal Cancer Patient Derived Organoids at the Frontier of Personalized Medicine and Drug Screening. Cells 2024; 13:1312. [PMID: 39195202 PMCID: PMC11352269 DOI: 10.3390/cells13161312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Around one-third of the total global cancer incidence and mortality are related to gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. Over the past few years, rapid developments have been made in patient-derived organoid (PDO) models for gastrointestinal cancers. By closely mimicking the molecular properties of their parent tumors in vitro, PDOs have emerged as powerful tools in personalized medicine and drug discovery. Here, we review the current literature on the application of PDOs of common gastrointestinal cancers in the optimization of drug treatment strategies in the clinic and their rising importance in pre-clinical drug development. We discuss the advantages and limitations of gastrointestinal cancer PDOs and outline the microfluidics-based strategies that improve the throughput of PDO models in order to extract the maximal benefits in the personalized medicine and drug discovery process.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenjie Yang
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;
| | - Jun Yu
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chi Chun Wong
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;
- Institute of Digestive Disease and Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Yu J, Wang K, Tang Y, Zheng D. Applications and perspectives of tumor organoids in radiobiology (Review). Oncol Rep 2024; 52:100. [PMID: 38904192 PMCID: PMC11223011 DOI: 10.3892/or.2024.8759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Radiotherapy exhibits significant versatility and efficacy in cancer treatment, thereby playing a crucial role in the field of oncology. However, there remains an urgent need for extensive research on various aspects of radiotherapy, including target selection, damage repair and its combination with immunotherapy. Particularly, the development of in vitro models to replicate in vivo tumor lesion responses is vital. The present study provides a thorough review of the establishment and application of tumor organoids in radiotherapy, aiming to explore their potential impact on cancer treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Yu
- Department of Hematology, Panzhihua Central Hospital, Panzhihua, Sichuan 617067, P.R. China
| | - Kailun Wang
- Emergency Department, Panshihua Central Hospital, Panzhihua, Sichuan 617067, P.R. China
| | - Yongjiang Tang
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Panzhihua Central Hospital, Panzhihua, Sichuan 617067, P.R. China
| | - Dalin Zheng
- Department of Hematology, Panzhihua Central Hospital, Panzhihua, Sichuan 617067, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Thorel L, Perréard M, Florent R, Divoux J, Coffy S, Vincent A, Gaggioli C, Guasch G, Gidrol X, Weiswald LB, Poulain L. Patient-derived tumor organoids: a new avenue for preclinical research and precision medicine in oncology. Exp Mol Med 2024; 56:1531-1551. [PMID: 38945959 PMCID: PMC11297165 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-024-01272-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, the emergence of patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTOs) has broadened the repertoire of preclinical models and progressively revolutionized three-dimensional cell culture in oncology. PDTO can be grown from patient tumor samples with high efficiency and faithfully recapitulates the histological and molecular characteristics of the original tumor. Therefore, PDTOs can serve as invaluable tools in oncology research, and their translation to clinical practice is exciting for the future of precision medicine in oncology. In this review, we provide an overview of methods for establishing PDTOs and their various applications in cancer research, starting with basic research and ending with the identification of new targets and preclinical validation of new anticancer compounds and precision medicine. Finally, we highlight the challenges associated with the clinical implementation of PDTO, such as its representativeness, success rate, assay speed, and lack of a tumor microenvironment. Technological developments and autologous cocultures of PDTOs and stromal cells are currently ongoing to meet these challenges and optimally exploit the full potential of these models. The use of PDTOs as standard tools in clinical oncology could lead to a new era of precision oncology in the coming decade.
Collapse
Grants
- AP-RM-19-020 Fondation de l'Avenir pour la Recherche Médicale Appliquée (Fondation de l'Avenir)
- PJA20191209649 Fondation ARC pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (ARC Foundation for Cancer Research)
- TRANSPARANCE Fondation ARC pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (ARC Foundation for Cancer Research)
- TRANSPARANCE Ligue Contre le Cancer
- ORGAPRED Ligue Contre le Cancer
- 3D-Hub Canceropôle PACA (Canceropole PACA)
- Pré-néo 2019-188 Institut National Du Cancer (French National Cancer Institute)
- Conseil Régional de Haute Normandie (Upper Normandy Regional Council)
- GIS IBiSA, Cancéropôle Nord-Ouest (ORGRAFT project), the Groupement des Entreprises Françaises dans la Lutte contre le Cancer (ORGAVADS project), the Fonds de dotation Patrick de Brou de Laurière (ORGAVADS project),and Normandy County Council (ORGATHEREX project).
- GIS IBiSA, Cancéropôle Nord-Ouest (OrgaNO project), Etat-région
- GIS IBiSA, Region Sud
- GIS IBiSA, Cancéropôle Nord-Ouest (OrgaNO project), and Normandy County Council (ORGAPRED, PLATONUS ONE, POLARIS, and EQUIP’INNOV projects).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Thorel
- INSERM U1086 ANTICIPE (Interdisciplinary Research Unit for Cancers Prevention and Treatment), BioTICLA Laboratory (Precision Medicine for Ovarian Cancers), Université de Caen Normandie, Caen, France
- Comprehensive Cancer Center François Baclesse, UNICANCER, Caen, France
| | - Marion Perréard
- INSERM U1086 ANTICIPE (Interdisciplinary Research Unit for Cancers Prevention and Treatment), BioTICLA Laboratory (Precision Medicine for Ovarian Cancers), Université de Caen Normandie, Caen, France
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Caen University Hospital, Caen, France
| | - Romane Florent
- ORGAPRED core facility, US PLATON, Université de Caen Normandie, Caen, France
| | - Jordane Divoux
- INSERM U1086 ANTICIPE (Interdisciplinary Research Unit for Cancers Prevention and Treatment), BioTICLA Laboratory (Precision Medicine for Ovarian Cancers), Université de Caen Normandie, Caen, France
- Comprehensive Cancer Center François Baclesse, UNICANCER, Caen, France
- ORGAPRED core facility, US PLATON, Université de Caen Normandie, Caen, France
| | - Sophia Coffy
- Biomics, CEA, Inserm, IRIG, UA13 BGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Audrey Vincent
- CNRS UMR9020, INSERM U1277, CANTHER Cancer Heterogeneity Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Lille, France
| | - Cédric Gaggioli
- CNRS UMR7284, INSERM U1081, Institute for Research on Cancer and Aging, Nice (IRCAN), 3D-Hub-S Facility, CNRS University Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Géraldine Guasch
- CNRS, INSERM, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, CRCM, Epithelial Stem Cells and Cancer Team, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Xavier Gidrol
- Biomics, CEA, Inserm, IRIG, UA13 BGE, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Louis-Bastien Weiswald
- INSERM U1086 ANTICIPE (Interdisciplinary Research Unit for Cancers Prevention and Treatment), BioTICLA Laboratory (Precision Medicine for Ovarian Cancers), Université de Caen Normandie, Caen, France.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center François Baclesse, UNICANCER, Caen, France.
- ORGAPRED core facility, US PLATON, Université de Caen Normandie, Caen, France.
| | - Laurent Poulain
- INSERM U1086 ANTICIPE (Interdisciplinary Research Unit for Cancers Prevention and Treatment), BioTICLA Laboratory (Precision Medicine for Ovarian Cancers), Université de Caen Normandie, Caen, France.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center François Baclesse, UNICANCER, Caen, France.
- ORGAPRED core facility, US PLATON, Université de Caen Normandie, Caen, France.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Hompe ED, Sachdeva UM. Updates in Translational Science for Esophageal and Gastric Cancers. Surg Oncol Clin N Am 2024; 33:571-581. [PMID: 38789199 DOI: 10.1016/j.soc.2023.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
In this article, the authors summarize the current state of translational science for esophageal and gastric cancers. The available targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and recently discovered molecular targets are reviewed. The authors introduce circulating tumor deoxyribonucleic acid and its promise as a biomarker to detect disease recurrence. The authors present patient-derived organoids as a new model for studying carcinogenesis and treatment responses. Finally, we discuss the implications of organoid models for precision oncology and describe exciting new work applying gene editing technology to organoids and studying tumor-microenvironment interactions using 3-dimensional co-culture systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eliza D Hompe
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Austen 7, Boston, MA 02114, ISA
| | - Uma M Sachdeva
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Austen 7, Boston, MA 02114, ISA; Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Jin H, Yang Q, Yang J, Wang F, Feng J, Lei L, Dai M. Exploring tumor organoids for cancer treatment. APL MATERIALS 2024; 12. [DOI: 10.1063/5.0216185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
As a life-threatening chronic disease, cancer is characterized by tumor heterogeneity. This heterogeneity is associated with factors that lead to treatment failure and poor prognosis, including drug resistance, relapse, and metastasis. Therefore, precision medicine urgently needs personalized tumor models that accurately reflect the tumor heterogeneity. Currently, tumor organoid technologies are used to generate in vitro 3D tissues, which have been shown to precisely recapitulate structure, tumor microenvironment, expression profiles, functions, molecular signatures, and genomic alterations in primary tumors. Tumor organoid models are important for identifying potential therapeutic targets, characterizing the effects of anticancer drugs, and exploring novel diagnostic and therapeutic options. In this review, we describe how tumor organoids can be cultured and summarize how researchers can use them as an excellent tool for exploring cancer therapies. In addition, we discuss tumor organoids that have been applied in cancer therapy research and highlight the potential of tumor organoids to guide preclinical research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hairong Jin
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Organs and Computational Medicine in Zhejiang Province, Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang Shuren University 1 , Hangzhou 310015, China
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University 2 , Wenzhou 325200, China
- Ningxia Medical University 3 , Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Qian Yang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University 4 , Changsha 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Jing Yang
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University 2 , Wenzhou 325200, China
- Ningxia Medical University 3 , Ningxia 750004, China
| | - Fangyan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Organs and Computational Medicine in Zhejiang Province, Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang Shuren University 1 , Hangzhou 310015, China
| | - Jiayin Feng
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Organs and Computational Medicine in Zhejiang Province, Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang Shuren University 1 , Hangzhou 310015, China
| | - Lanjie Lei
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Organs and Computational Medicine in Zhejiang Province, Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang Shuren University 1 , Hangzhou 310015, China
| | - Minghai Dai
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University 2 , Wenzhou 325200, China
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Zhao YX, Zhao HP, Zhao MY, Yu Y, Qi X, Wang JH, Lv J. Latest insights into the global epidemiological features, screening, early diagnosis and prognosis prediction of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. World J Gastroenterol 2024; 30:2638-2656. [PMID: 38855150 PMCID: PMC11154680 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v30.i20.2638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024] Open
Abstract
As a highly invasive carcinoma, esophageal cancer (EC) was the eighth most prevalent malignancy and the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide in 2020. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the major histological subtype of EC, and its incidence and mortality rates are decreasing globally. Due to the lack of specific early symptoms, ESCC patients are usually diagnosed with advanced-stage disease with a poor prognosis, and the incidence and mortality rates are still high in many countries, especially in China. Therefore, enormous challenges still exist in the management of ESCC, and novel strategies are urgently needed to further decrease the incidence and mortality rates of ESCC. Although the key molecular mechanisms underlying ESCC pathogenesis have not been fully elucidated, certain promising biomarkers are being investigated to facilitate clinical decision-making. With the advent and advancement of high-throughput technologies, such as genomics, proteomics and metabolomics, valuable biomarkers with high sensitivity, specificity and stability could be identified for ESCC. Herein, we aimed to determine the epidemiological features of ESCC in different regions of the world, especially in China, and focused on novel molecular biomarkers associated with ESCC screening, early diagnosis and prognosis prediction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Xin Zhao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Honghui Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710054, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - He-Ping Zhao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Honghui Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710054, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Meng-Yao Zhao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Honghui Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710054, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Yan Yu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Honghui Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710054, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Xi Qi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Honghui Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710054, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Ji-Han Wang
- Institute of Medical Research, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Jing Lv
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Honghui Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710054, Shaanxi Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Lampis S, Galardi A, Di Paolo V, Di Giannatale A. Organoids as a new approach for improving pediatric cancer research. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1414311. [PMID: 38835365 PMCID: PMC11148379 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1414311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
A key challenge in cancer research is the meticulous development of models that faithfully emulates the intricacies of the patient scenario, with emphasis on preserving intra-tumoral heterogeneity and the dynamic milieu of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Organoids emerge as promising tool in new drug development, drug screening and precision medicine. Despite advances in the diagnoses and treatment of pediatric cancers, certain tumor subtypes persist in yielding unfavorable prognoses. Moreover, the prognosis for a significant portion of children experiencing disease relapse is dismal. To improve pediatric outcome many groups are focusing on the development of precision medicine approach. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about using organoid system as model in preclinical and clinical solid-pediatric cancer. Since organoids retain the pivotal characteristics of primary parent tumors, they exert great potential in discovering novel tumor biomarkers, exploring drug-resistance mechanism and predicting tumor responses to chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapies. We also examine both the potential opportunities and existing challenges inherent organoids, hoping to point out the direction for future organoid development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Lampis
- Hematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy Unit, IRCCS, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Galardi
- Hematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy Unit, IRCCS, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
| | - Virginia Di Paolo
- Hematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy Unit, IRCCS, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Di Giannatale
- Hematology/Oncology and Cell and Gene Therapy Unit, IRCCS, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Maru Y, Kohno M, Suzuka K, Odaka A, Masuda M, Araki A, Itami M, Tanaka N, Hippo Y. Establishment and characterization of multiple patient-derived organoids from a case of advanced endometrial cancer. Hum Cell 2024; 37:840-853. [PMID: 38546950 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-024-01048-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) retain the original tumor's characteristics to a large degree and allow direct evaluation of the drug sensitivity, thereby emerging as a valuable resource for both basic and preclinical researches. Whereas most past studies stereotypically adopted a single PDO as an avatar of the patient, it remains to be investigated whether this assumption can be justified even for the tumor with spatial diversity. To address this issue, we established and characterized multiple PDOs originating from various sites of a patient with advanced uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS). Specifically, cancer cells were separately sampled from three sites; resected UCS tumor tissue, the peritoneal lavage fluid, and an intra-uterine brushing of the tumor. The three derived PDOs were morphologically undistinguishable, displaying typical carcinoma organoids-like appearance, but two of them proliferated at a faster rate. The primary tumor harbored mutations in TP53 and STK11 along with amplifications in CCNE1, ERBB2, and KRAS. These two mutations and the CCNE1 amplification were detected in all PDOs, while either KRAS or ERBB2 amplification was selectively observed in each PDO in a mutually exclusive manner. Observed intra-tumor heterogeneity in HER2 expression was differentially reproduced in the PDOs, which mirrored each PDO's sensitivity to HER2 inhibitors. Inter-PDO heterogeneity was also evident in sensitivity to standard cytotoxic agents. Lastly, a drug screening identified four candidate reagents commonly effective to all PDOs. Collectively, we showed that multiple PDOs could help reproduce the spatial diversity of a tumor and serve as a valuable resource in UCS research in many respects.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiaki Maru
- Laboratory of Precision Tumor Model Systems, Chiba Cancer Center Research Institute, 666-2 Nitona-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Chiba-Shi, Chiba, 260-8717, Japan.
| | - Mami Kohno
- Laboratory of Precision Tumor Model Systems, Chiba Cancer Center Research Institute, 666-2 Nitona-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Chiba-Shi, Chiba, 260-8717, Japan
| | - Kiyomi Suzuka
- Department of Gynecology, Chiba Cancer Center, 666-2 Nitona-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Chiba-Shi, Chiba, 260-8717, Japan
| | - Akiko Odaka
- Division of Surgical Pathology, Chiba Cancer Center, 666-2 Nitona-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Chiba-Shi, Chiba, 260-8717, Japan
| | - Mari Masuda
- Department of Proteomics, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Akinobu Araki
- Division of Surgical Pathology, Chiba Cancer Center, 666-2 Nitona-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Chiba-Shi, Chiba, 260-8717, Japan
| | - Makiko Itami
- Division of Surgical Pathology, Chiba Cancer Center, 666-2 Nitona-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Chiba-Shi, Chiba, 260-8717, Japan
| | - Naotake Tanaka
- Department of Gynecology, Chiba Cancer Center, 666-2 Nitona-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Chiba-Shi, Chiba, 260-8717, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Hippo
- Laboratory of Precision Tumor Model Systems, Chiba Cancer Center Research Institute, 666-2 Nitona-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Chiba-Shi, Chiba, 260-8717, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Mei J, Liu X, Tian H, Chen Y, Cao Y, Zeng J, Liu Y, Chen Y, Gao Y, Yin J, Wang P. Tumour organoids and assembloids: Patient-derived cancer avatars for immunotherapy. Clin Transl Med 2024; 14:e1656. [PMID: 38664597 PMCID: PMC11045561 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Organoid technology is an emerging and rapidly growing field that shows promise in studying organ development and screening therapeutic regimens. Although organoids have been proposed for a decade, concerns exist, including batch-to-batch variations, lack of the native microenvironment and clinical applicability. MAIN BODY The concept of organoids has derived patient-derived tumour organoids (PDTOs) for personalized drug screening and new drug discovery, mitigating the risks of medication misuse. The greater the similarity between the PDTOs and the primary tumours, the more influential the model will be. Recently, 'tumour assembloids' inspired by cell-coculture technology have attracted attention to complement the current PDTO technology. High-quality PDTOs must reassemble critical components, including multiple cell types, tumour matrix, paracrine factors, angiogenesis and microorganisms. This review begins with a brief overview of the history of organoids and PDTOs, followed by the current approaches for generating PDTOs and tumour assembloids. Personalized drug screening has been practised; however, it remains unclear whether PDTOs can predict immunotherapies, including immune drugs (e.g. immune checkpoint inhibitors) and immune cells (e.g. tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte, T cell receptor-engineered T cell and chimeric antigen receptor-T cell). PDTOs, as cancer avatars of the patients, can be expanded and stored to form a biobank. CONCLUSION Fundamental research and clinical trials are ongoing, and the intention is to use these models to replace animals. Pre-clinical immunotherapy screening using PDTOs will be beneficial to cancer patients. KEY POINTS The current PDTO models have not yet constructed key cellular and non-cellular components. PDTOs should be expandable and editable. PDTOs are promising preclinical models for immunotherapy unless mature PDTOs can be established. PDTO biobanks with consensual standards are urgently needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Mei
- Oujiang Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Institute of AgingWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouPeople's Republic of China
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hunan Key Laboratory of PharmacogeneticsCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Applied Technology of PharmacogenomicsMinistry of EducationChangshaPeople's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Xingjian Liu
- Oujiang Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Institute of AgingWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouPeople's Republic of China
| | - Hui‐Xiang Tian
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hunan Key Laboratory of PharmacogeneticsCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Yixuan Chen
- Oujiang Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Institute of AgingWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouPeople's Republic of China
| | - Yang Cao
- Oujiang Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Institute of AgingWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouPeople's Republic of China
| | - Jun Zeng
- Oujiang Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Institute of AgingWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouPeople's Republic of China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Yung‐Chiang Liu
- Oujiang Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Institute of AgingWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouPeople's Republic of China
| | - Yaping Chen
- Oujiang Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Institute of AgingWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouPeople's Republic of China
| | - Yang Gao
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
- Hunan Engineering Research Center for Pulmonary Nodules Precise Diagnosis and Treatment, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
- Xiangya Lung Cancer Center, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Ji‐Ye Yin
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Hunan Key Laboratory of PharmacogeneticsCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Applied Technology of PharmacogenomicsMinistry of EducationChangshaPeople's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya HospitalCentral South UniversityChangshaPeople's Republic of China
| | - Peng‐Yuan Wang
- Oujiang Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Institute of AgingWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouPeople's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Swanton C, Bernard E, Abbosh C, André F, Auwerx J, Balmain A, Bar-Sagi D, Bernards R, Bullman S, DeGregori J, Elliott C, Erez A, Evan G, Febbraio MA, Hidalgo A, Jamal-Hanjani M, Joyce JA, Kaiser M, Lamia K, Locasale JW, Loi S, Malanchi I, Merad M, Musgrave K, Patel KJ, Quezada S, Wargo JA, Weeraratna A, White E, Winkler F, Wood JN, Vousden KH, Hanahan D. Embracing cancer complexity: Hallmarks of systemic disease. Cell 2024; 187:1589-1616. [PMID: 38552609 PMCID: PMC12077170 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 73.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
The last 50 years have witnessed extraordinary developments in understanding mechanisms of carcinogenesis, synthesized as the hallmarks of cancer. Despite this logical framework, our understanding of the molecular basis of systemic manifestations and the underlying causes of cancer-related death remains incomplete. Looking forward, elucidating how tumors interact with distant organs and how multifaceted environmental and physiological parameters impinge on tumors and their hosts will be crucial for advances in preventing and more effectively treating human cancers. In this perspective, we discuss complexities of cancer as a systemic disease, including tumor initiation and promotion, tumor micro- and immune macro-environments, aging, metabolism and obesity, cancer cachexia, circadian rhythms, nervous system interactions, tumor-related thrombosis, and the microbiome. Model systems incorporating human genetic variation will be essential to decipher the mechanistic basis of these phenomena and unravel gene-environment interactions, providing a modern synthesis of molecular oncology that is primed to prevent cancers and improve patient quality of life and cancer outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charles Swanton
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK; Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK.
| | - Elsa Bernard
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK; INSERM U981, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France
| | | | - Fabrice André
- INSERM U981, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; Department of Medical Oncology, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; Paris Saclay University, Kremlin-Bicetre, France
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Allan Balmain
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - René Bernards
- Division of Molecular Carcinogenesis, Oncode Institute, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Susan Bullman
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - James DeGregori
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | | | - Ayelet Erez
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Gerard Evan
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK; Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Mark A Febbraio
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrés Hidalgo
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; Area of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mariam Jamal-Hanjani
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Johanna A Joyce
- Department of Oncology, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Katja Lamia
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jason W Locasale
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Molecular and Structural Biochemistry, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Sherene Loi
- Division of Cancer Research, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; The Sir Department of Medical Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Miriam Merad
- Department of immunology and immunotherapy, Precision Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kathryn Musgrave
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK; Department of Haematology, The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Ketan J Patel
- MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Sergio Quezada
- Cancer Immunology Unit, Research Department of Haematology, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Jennifer A Wargo
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ashani Weeraratna
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Eileen White
- Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; Ludwig Princeton Branch, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Frank Winkler
- Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Clinical Cooperation Unit Neuro-oncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - John N Wood
- Molecular Nociception Group, WIBR, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Douglas Hanahan
- Lausanne Branch, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Lausanne, Switzerland; Swiss institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC), EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland; Agora Translational Cancer Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Smabers LP, Wensink E, Verissimo CS, Koedoot E, Pitsa KC, Huismans MA, Higuera Barón C, Doorn M, Valkenburg-van Iersel LB, Cirkel GA, Brousali A, Overmeer R, Koopman M, Braat MN, Penning de Vries B, Elias SG, Vries RG, Kranenburg O, Boj SF, Roodhart JM. Organoids as a biomarker for personalized treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer: drug screen optimization and correlation with patient response. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:61. [PMID: 38414064 PMCID: PMC10898042 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-02980-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The inability to predict treatment response of colorectal cancer patients results in unnecessary toxicity, decreased efficacy and survival. Response testing on patient-derived organoids (PDOs) is a promising biomarker for treatment efficacy. The aim of this study is to optimize PDO drug screening methods for correlation with patient response and explore the potential to predict responses to standard chemotherapies. METHODS We optimized drug screen methods on 5-11 PDOs per condition of the complete set of 23 PDOs from patients treated for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). PDOs were exposed to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), irinotecan- and oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy. We compared medium with and without N-acetylcysteine (NAC), different readouts and different combination treatment set-ups to capture the strongest association with patient response. We expanded the screens using the optimized methods for all PDOs. Organoid sensitivity was correlated to the patient's response, determined by % change in the size of target lesions. We assessed organoid sensitivity in relation to prior exposure to chemotherapy, mutational status and sidedness. RESULTS Drug screen optimization involved excluding N-acetylcysteine from the medium and biphasic curve fitting for 5-FU & oxaliplatin combination screens. CellTiter-Glo measurements were comparable with CyQUANT and did not affect the correlation with patient response. Furthermore, the correlation improved with application of growth rate metrics, when 5-FU & oxaliplatin was screened in a ratio, and 5-FU & SN-38 using a fixed dose of SN-38. Area under the curve was the most robust drug response curve metric. After optimization, organoid and patient response showed a correlation coefficient of 0.58 for 5-FU (n = 6, 95% CI -0.44,0.95), 0.61 for irinotecan- (n = 10, 95% CI -0.03,0.90) and 0.60 for oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy (n = 11, 95% CI -0.01,0.88). Median progression-free survival of patients with resistant PDOs to oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy was significantly shorter than sensitive PDOs (3.3 vs 10.9 months, p = 0.007). Increased resistance to 5-FU in patients with prior exposure to 5-FU/capecitabine was adequately reflected in PDOs (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS Our study emphasizes the critical impact of the screening methods for determining correlation between PDO drug screens and mCRC patient outcomes. Our 5-step optimization strategy provides a basis for future research on the clinical utility of PDO screens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lidwien P Smabers
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Emerens Wensink
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Maarten A Huismans
- Molecular Cancer Research, Center for Molecular Medicine, UMCU, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Geert A Cirkel
- Department of Medical Oncology, Meander Medical Center, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
| | - Anneta Brousali
- Utrecht Platform for Organoid Technology (UPORT), UMCU, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Miriam Koopman
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Manon N Braat
- Department of Radiology, UMCU, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bas Penning de Vries
- Department of Epidemiology, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, UMCU, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd G Elias
- Department of Epidemiology, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, UMCU, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Onno Kranenburg
- Utrecht Platform for Organoid Technology (UPORT), UMCU, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Division of Imaging and Cancer, UMCU, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jeanine M Roodhart
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Ziman B, Yang Q, Zheng Y, Sheth M, Nam C, Zhao H, Zhang L, Hu B, Bhowmick NA, Sinha UK, Lin DC. Epigenomic analyses identify FOXM1 as a key regulator of anti-tumor immune response in esophageal adenocarcinoma. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:152. [PMID: 38373993 PMCID: PMC10876663 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06488-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Unlike most cancer types, the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has rapidly escalated in the western world over recent decades. Using whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS), we identify the transcription factor (TF) FOXM1 as an important epigenetic regulator of EAC. FOXM1 plays a critical role in cellular proliferation and tumor growth in EAC patient-derived organoids and cell line models. We identify ERBB2 as an upstream regulator of the expression and transcriptional activity of FOXM1. Unexpectedly, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) unbiased screen reveals a prominent anti-correlation between FOXM1 and immune response pathways. Indeed, syngeneic mouse models show that FOXM1 inhibits the infiltration of CD8+ T cells into the tumor microenvironment. Consistently, FOXM1 suppresses CD8+ T cell chemotaxis in vitro and antigen-dependent CD8+ T cell killing. This study characterizes FOXM1 as a significant EAC-promoting TF and elucidates its novel function in regulating anti-tumor immune response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Ziman
- Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar St, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1441 Eastlake Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - Qian Yang
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127S. San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Yueyuan Zheng
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127S. San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Megha Sheth
- Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar St, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Chehyun Nam
- Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar St, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Hua Zhao
- Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar St, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Le Zhang
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127S. San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Boyan Hu
- Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar St, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Neil A Bhowmick
- Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127S. San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Uttam K Sinha
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1441 Eastlake Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
| | - De-Chen Lin
- Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar St, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1441 Eastlake Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Sharma K, Dey S, Karmakar R, Rengan AK. A comprehensive review of 3D cancer models for drug screening and translational research. CANCER INNOVATION 2024; 3:e102. [PMID: 38948533 PMCID: PMC11212324 DOI: 10.1002/cai2.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
The 3D cancer models fill the discovery gap of 2D cancer models and play an important role in cancer research. In addition to cancer cells, a range of other factors include the stroma, density and composition of extracellular matrix, cancer-associated immune cells (e.g., cancer-associated fibroblasts cancer cell-stroma interactions and subsequent interactions, and a number of other factors (e.g., tumor vasculature and tumor-like microenvironment in vivo) has been widely ignored in the 2D concept of culture. Despite this knowledge, the continued use of monolayer cell culture methods has led to the failure of a series of clinical trials. This review discusses the immense importance of tumor microenvironment (TME) recapitulation in cancer research, prioritizing the individual roles of TME elements in cancer histopathology. The TME provided by the 3D model fulfills the requirements of in vivo spatiotemporal arrangement, components, and is helpful in analyzing various different aspects of drug sensitivity in preclinical and clinical trials, some of which are discussed here. Furthermore, it discusses models for the co-assembly of different TME elements in vitro and focuses on their synergistic function and responsiveness as tumors. Furthermore, this review broadly describes of a handful of recently developed 3D models whose main focus is limited to drug development and their screening and/or the impact of this approach in preclinical and translational research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karthikey Sharma
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringIndian Institute of Technology (IIT)HyderabadIndia
| | - Sreenath Dey
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringIndian Institute of Technology (IIT)HyderabadIndia
| | - Rounik Karmakar
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringIndian Institute of Technology (IIT)HyderabadIndia
| | - Aravind Kumar Rengan
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringIndian Institute of Technology (IIT)HyderabadIndia
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Song XQ, Chen BB, Jin YM, Wang CY. DNMT1-mediated epigenetic suppression of FBXO32 expression promoting cyclin dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) survival and esophageal cancer cell growth. Cell Cycle 2024; 23:262-278. [PMID: 38597826 PMCID: PMC11057636 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2024.2309022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Esophageal cancer (EC) is a common and serious form of cancer, and while DNA methyltransferase-1 (DNMT1) promotes DNA methylation and carcinogenesis, the role of F-box protein 32 (FBXO32) in EC and its regulation by DNMT1-mediated methylation is still unclear. FBXO32 expression was examined in EC cells with high DNMT1 expression using GSE163735 dataset. RT-qPCR assessed FBXO32 expression in normal and EC cells, and impact of higher FBXO32 expression on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion was evaluated, along with EMT-related proteins. The xenograft model established by injecting EC cells transfected with FBXO32 was used to evaluate tumor growth, apoptosis, and tumor cells proliferation and metastasis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay was employed to study the interaction between DNMT1 and FBXO32. HitPredict, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), and Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) pulldown assay analyzed the interaction between FBXO32 and cyclin dependent kinase 9 (CDK9). Finally, the ubiquitination assay identified CDK9 ubiquitination, and its half-life was measured using cycloheximide and confirmed through western blotting. DNMT1 negatively correlated with FBXO32 expression in esophageal cells. High FBXO32 expression was associated with better overall survival in patients. Knockdown of DNMT1 in EC cells increased FBXO32 expression and suppressed malignant phenotypes. FBXO32 repressed EC tumor growth and metastasis in mice. Enrichment of DNMT1 in FBXO32 promoter region led to increased DNA methylation and reduced transcription. Mechanistically, FBXO32 degraded CDK9 through promoting its ubiquitination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xian-Qiang Song
- Department of Radiotherapy, Qinhuai Medical District, General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Bin-Bin Chen
- Departments of Laboratory Medicine, Qinhuai Medical District, General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Yong-Mei Jin
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Qinhuai Medical District, General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command, Nanjing, PR China
| | - Chang-Yong Wang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Qinhuai Medical District, General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command, Nanjing, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Mai S, Inkielewicz-Stepniak I. Graphene Oxide Nanoparticles and Organoids: A Prospective Advanced Model for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1066. [PMID: 38256139 PMCID: PMC10817028 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25021066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer, notorious for its grim 10% five-year survival rate, poses significant clinical challenges, largely due to late-stage diagnosis and limited therapeutic options. This review delves into the generation of organoids, including those derived from resected tissues, biopsies, pluripotent stem cells, and adult stem cells, as well as the advancements in 3D printing. It explores the complexities of the tumor microenvironment, emphasizing culture media, the integration of non-neoplastic cells, and angiogenesis. Additionally, the review examines the multifaceted properties of graphene oxide (GO), such as its mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical, and optical attributes, and their implications in cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. GO's unique properties facilitate its interaction with tumors, allowing targeted drug delivery and enhanced imaging for early detection and treatment. The integration of GO with 3D cultured organoid systems, particularly in pancreatic cancer research, is critically analyzed, highlighting current limitations and future potential. This innovative approach has the promise to transform personalized medicine, improve drug screening efficiency, and aid biomarker discovery in this aggressive disease. Through this review, we offer a balanced perspective on the advancements and future prospects in pancreatic cancer research, harnessing the potential of organoids and GO.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Iwona Inkielewicz-Stepniak
- Department of Pharmaceutical Pathophysiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, 80-210 Gdańsk, Poland;
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Fang X, Shu L, Chen T, Zhao X, Yang L, Dou T, Yang L, Li X, Feng M. Organoids derived from patients provide a new opportunity for research and individualized treatment of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:12. [PMID: 38200517 PMCID: PMC10782772 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01901-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) is an extremely rare and highly invasive tumor. Due to the lack of accurate models that reflect the biological characteristics of primary tumors, studying MPM remains challenging and is associated with an exceedingly unfavorable prognosis. This study was aimed to establish a new potential preclinical model for MPM using patient-derived MPM organoids (MPMOs) and to comprehensively evaluate the practicality of this model in medical research and its feasibility in guiding individualized patient treatment. METHODS MPMOs were constructed using tumor tissue from MPM patients. Histopathological analysis and whole genome sequencing (WGS) were employed to determine the ability of MPMOs to replicate the original tumor's genetic and histological characteristics. The subcutaneous and orthotopic xenograft models were employed to assess the feasibility of establishing an in vivo model of MPM. MPMOs were also used to conduct drug screening and compare the results with retrospective analysis of patients after treatment, in order to evaluate the potential of MPMOs in predicting the effectiveness of drugs in MPM patients. RESULTS We successfully established a culture method for human MPM organoids using tumor tissue from MPM patients and provided a comprehensive description of the necessary medium components for MPMOs. Pathological examination and WGS revealed that MPMOs accurately represented the histological characteristics and genomic heterogeneity of the original tumors. In terms of application, the success rate of creating subcutaneous and orthotopic xenograft models using MPMOs was 88% and 100% respectively. Drug sensitivity assays demonstrated that MPMOs have different medication responses, and these differences were compatible with the real situation of the patients. CONCLUSION This study presents a method for generating human MPM organoids, which can serve as a valuable research tool and contribute to the advancement of MPM research. Additionally, these organoids can be utilized as a means to evaluate the effectiveness of drug treatments for MPM patients, offering a model for personalized treatment approaches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- XiaoChang Fang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Clinical Medical Research Center of Peritoneal Cancer of Wuhan, Wuhan, China
- Clinical Cancer Study Center of Hubei Provence, Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behavior of Hubei Provence, Wuhan, China
| | - Lin Shu
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Clinical Medical Research Center of Peritoneal Cancer of Wuhan, Wuhan, China
- Clinical Cancer Study Center of Hubei Provence, Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behavior of Hubei Provence, Wuhan, China
| | - TianLiang Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Clinical Medical Research Center of Peritoneal Cancer of Wuhan, Wuhan, China
- Clinical Cancer Study Center of Hubei Provence, Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behavior of Hubei Provence, Wuhan, China
| | - XiaoLe Zhao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Clinical Medical Research Center of Peritoneal Cancer of Wuhan, Wuhan, China
- Clinical Cancer Study Center of Hubei Provence, Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behavior of Hubei Provence, Wuhan, China
| | - LiuCui Yang
- Clinical Medical Research Center of Peritoneal Cancer of Wuhan, Wuhan, China
- Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tingting Dou
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Clinical Medical Research Center of Peritoneal Cancer of Wuhan, Wuhan, China
- Clinical Cancer Study Center of Hubei Provence, Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behavior of Hubei Provence, Wuhan, China
| | - Lijie Yang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Clinical Medical Research Center of Peritoneal Cancer of Wuhan, Wuhan, China
- Clinical Cancer Study Center of Hubei Provence, Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behavior of Hubei Provence, Wuhan, China
| | - Xuanfei Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
- Clinical Medical Research Center of Peritoneal Cancer of Wuhan, Wuhan, China.
- Clinical Cancer Study Center of Hubei Provence, Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behavior of Hubei Provence, Wuhan, China.
| | - Maohui Feng
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.
- Clinical Medical Research Center of Peritoneal Cancer of Wuhan, Wuhan, China.
- Clinical Cancer Study Center of Hubei Provence, Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behavior of Hubei Provence, Wuhan, China.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Duan X, Zhang T, Feng L, de Silva N, Greenspun B, Wang X, Moyer J, Martin ML, Chandwani R, Elemento O, Leach SD, Evans T, Chen S, Pan FC. A pancreatic cancer organoid platform identifies an inhibitor specific to mutant KRAS. Cell Stem Cell 2024; 31:71-88.e8. [PMID: 38151022 PMCID: PMC11022279 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
KRAS mutations, mainly G12D and G12V, are found in more than 90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cases. The success of drugs targeting KRASG12C suggests the potential for drugs specifically targeting these alternative PDAC-associated KRAS mutations. Here, we report a high-throughput drug-screening platform using a series of isogenic murine pancreatic organoids that are wild type (WT) or contain common PDAC driver mutations, representing both classical and basal PDAC phenotypes. We screened over 6,000 compounds and identified perhexiline maleate, which can inhibit the growth and induce cell death of pancreatic organoids carrying the KrasG12D mutation both in vitro and in vivo and primary human PDAC organoids. scRNA-seq analysis suggests that the cholesterol synthesis pathway is upregulated specifically in the KRAS mutant organoids, including the key cholesterol synthesis regulator SREBP2. Perhexiline maleate decreases SREBP2 expression levels and reverses the KRAS mutant-induced upregulation of the cholesterol synthesis pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohua Duan
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA; Center for Genomic Health, 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Tuo Zhang
- Genomics Resources Core Facility, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Lingling Feng
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA; Key Laboratory of Pesticide and Chemical Biology (CCNU), Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, China
| | - Neranjan de Silva
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Benjamin Greenspun
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA; Center for Genomic Health, 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Xing Wang
- Genomics Resources Core Facility, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jenna Moyer
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - M Laura Martin
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rohit Chandwani
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA; Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Olivier Elemento
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Steven D Leach
- Dartmouth Cancer Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Todd Evans
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA; Center for Genomic Health, 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Shuibing Chen
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA; Center for Genomic Health, 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA.
| | - Fong Cheng Pan
- Department of Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1300 York Ave., New York, NY 10065, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Fatemi N, Karimpour M, Bahrami H, Zali MR, Chaleshi V, Riccio A, Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad E, Totonchi M. Current trends and future prospects of drug repositioning in gastrointestinal oncology. Front Pharmacol 2024; 14:1329244. [PMID: 38239190 PMCID: PMC10794567 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1329244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers comprise a significant number of cancer cases worldwide and contribute to a high percentage of cancer-related deaths. To improve survival rates of GI cancer patients, it is important to find and implement more effective therapeutic strategies with better prognoses and fewer side effects. The development of new drugs can be a lengthy and expensive process, often involving clinical trials that may fail in the early stages. One strategy to address these challenges is drug repurposing (DR). Drug repurposing is a developmental strategy that involves using existing drugs approved for other diseases and leveraging their safety and pharmacological data to explore their potential use in treating different diseases. In this paper, we outline the existing therapeutic strategies and challenges associated with GI cancers and explore DR as a promising alternative approach. We have presented an extensive review of different DR methodologies, research efforts and examples of repurposed drugs within various GI cancer types, such as colorectal, pancreatic and liver cancers. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of employing the DR approach in GI cancers to inform future research endeavors and clinical trials in this field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nayeralsadat Fatemi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mina Karimpour
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hoda Bahrami
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Zali
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Chaleshi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Andrea Riccio
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DiSTABiF), Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics (IGB) “Adriano Buzzati-Traverso”, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Naples, Italy
| | - Ehsan Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad
- Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Totonchi
- Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (DiSTABiF), Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
- Department of Genetics, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Bolger JC, Allen J, Radulovich N, Ng C, Derouet M, Shathasivam P, Wilson GW, Tsao MS, Elimova E, Darling GE, Yeung JC. Patient-derived organoids for prediction of treatment response in oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Br J Surg 2024; 111:znad408. [PMID: 38284787 DOI: 10.1093/bjs/znad408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Jarlath C Bolger
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jonathan Allen
- Latner Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratories, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nikolina Radulovich
- Princess Margaret Living Biobank, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christine Ng
- Princess Margaret Living Biobank, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mathieu Derouet
- Latner Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratories, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Premalatha Shathasivam
- Latner Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratories, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gavin W Wilson
- Latner Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratories, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ming-Sound Tsao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elena Elimova
- Division of Medical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gail E Darling
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Latner Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratories, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jonathan C Yeung
- Division of Thoracic Surgery, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Latner Thoracic Surgery Research Laboratories, Princess Margaret Cancer Research Tower, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Rassomakhina NV, Ryazanova AY, Likhov AR, Bruskin SA, Maloshenok LG, Zherdeva VV. Tumor Organoids: The Era of Personalized Medicine. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:S127-S147. [PMID: 38621748 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924140086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
The strategies of future medicine are aimed to modernize and integrate quality approaches including early molecular-genetic profiling, identification of new therapeutic targets and adapting design for clinical trials, personalized drug screening (PDS) to help predict and individualize patient treatment regimens. In the past decade, organoid models have emerged as an innovative in vitro platform with the potential to realize the concept of patient-centered medicine. Organoids are spatially restricted three-dimensional clusters of cells ex vivo that self-organize into complex functional structures through genetically programmed determination, which is crucial for reconstructing the architecture of the primary tissue and organs. Currently, there are several strategies to create three-dimensional (3D) tumor systems using (i) surgically resected patient tissue (PDTOs, patient-derived tumor organoids) or (ii) single tumor cells circulating in the patient's blood. Successful application of 3D tumor models obtained by co-culturing autologous tumor organoids (PDTOs) and peripheral blood lymphocytes have been demonstrated in a number of studies. Such models simulate a 3D tumor architecture in vivo and contain all cell types characteristic of this tissue, including immune system cells and stem cells. Components of the tumor microenvironment, such as fibroblasts and immune system cells, affect tumor growth and its drug resistance. In this review, we analyzed the evolution of tumor models from two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures and laboratory animals to 3D tissue-specific tumor organoids, their significance in identifying mechanisms of antitumor response and drug resistance, and use of these models in drug screening and development of precision methods in cancer treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia V Rassomakhina
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Alexandra Yu Ryazanova
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Astemir R Likhov
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Sergey A Bruskin
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Liliya G Maloshenok
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Victoria V Zherdeva
- Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Federal Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119071, Russia.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Peters CJ, Ang Y, Ciccarelli FD, Coles H, Coleman HG, Contino G, Crosby T, Devonshire G, Eldridge M, Freeman A, Grehan N, McCord M, Nutzinger B, Zamani S, Parsons SL, Petty R, Sharrocks AD, Skipworth RJE, Smyth EC, Soomro I, Underwood TJ, Fitzgerald RC. A decade of the Oesophageal Cancer Clinical and Molecular Stratification Consortium. Nat Med 2024; 30:14-16. [PMID: 38114667 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02676-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- C J Peters
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Y Ang
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Gastroenterology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - F D Ciccarelli
- Cancer Systems Biology, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - H Coles
- Early Cancer Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - H G Coleman
- Centre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - G Contino
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - T Crosby
- Velindre University NHS Trust, Cardiff, UK
| | - G Devonshire
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - M Eldridge
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - A Freeman
- Early Cancer Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - N Grehan
- Early Cancer Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - M McCord
- Heartburn Cancer UK, Basingstoke, UK
| | - B Nutzinger
- Early Cancer Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - S Zamani
- Early Cancer Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - S L Parsons
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
| | - R Petty
- School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - A D Sharrocks
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Function, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | | | - E C Smyth
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - I Soomro
- Nottingham University Hospital, Nottingham, UK
| | - T J Underwood
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - R C Fitzgerald
- Early Cancer Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Mishra I, Gupta K, Mishra R, Chaudhary K, Sharma V. An Exploration of Organoid Technology: Present Advancements, Applications, and Obstacles. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2024; 25:1000-1020. [PMID: 37807405 DOI: 10.2174/0113892010273024230925075231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Organoids are in vitro models that exhibit a three-dimensional structure and effectively replicate the structural and physiological features of human organs. The capacity to research complex biological processes and disorders in a controlled setting is laid out by these miniature organ-like structures. OBJECTIVES This work examines the potential applications of organoid technology, as well as the challenges and future directions associated with its implementation. It aims to emphasize the pivotal role of organoids in disease modeling, drug discovery, developmental biology, precision medicine, and fundamental research. METHODS The manuscript was put together by conducting a comprehensive literature review, which involved an in-depth evaluation of globally renowned scientific research databases. RESULTS The field of organoids has generated significant attention due to its potential applications in tissue development and disease modelling, as well as its implications for personalised medicine, drug screening, and cell-based therapies. The utilisation of organoids has proven to be effective in the examination of various conditions, encompassing genetic disorders, cancer, neurodevelopmental disorders, and infectious diseases. CONCLUSION The exploration of the wider uses of organoids is still in its early phases. Research shall be conducted to integrate 3D organoid systems as alternatives for current models, potentially improving both fundamental and clinical studies in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isha Mishra
- Department of Pharmacy, Galgotias College of Pharmacy, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201310, India
| | - Komal Gupta
- Department of Pharmacy, Galgotias College of Pharmacy, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201310, India
| | - Raghav Mishra
- Department of Pharmacy, GLA University, Mathura, 281406, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Kajal Chaudhary
- Department of Pharmacy, GLA University, Mathura, 281406, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Vikram Sharma
- Department of Pharmacy, Galgotias College of Pharmacy, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201310, India
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Jiang Y, Zhao H, Kong S, Zhou D, Dong J, Cheng Y, Zhang S, Wang F, Kalra A, Yang N, Wei DD, Chen J, Zhang YW, Lin DC, Meltzer SJ, Jiang YY. Establishing mouse and human oral esophageal organoids to investigate the tumor immune response. Dis Model Mech 2024; 17:dmm050319. [PMID: 38258518 PMCID: PMC10846528 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.050319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Organoid culture systems are very powerful models that recapitulate in vivo organ development and disease pathogenesis, offering great promise in basic research, drug screening and precision medicine. However, the application of organoids derived from patients with cancer to immunotherapeutic research is a relatively untapped area. Esophageal cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide, including two major pathological subtypes: esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and esophageal adenocarcinoma. ESCC shares many biological and genomic features with oral squamous cell cancers. Herein, we provide a versatile protocol for the establishment and maintenance of oral and esophageal organoid cultures derived from both murine and human samples. We describe culture conditions for organoids derived from normal tongue, esophagus and gastroesophageal junction, esophageal cancer and Barrett's esophagus. In addition, we establish an ex vivo model by co-culturing patient tumor-derived organoids and autologous CD8+ T lymphocytes to assess CD8+ T cell-mediated tumor killing. Our protocol can also be modified for organoid establishment from other squamous epithelia and carcinomas. The co-culture model can serve as a template for studies of other tumor-immune cell interactions and the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Jiang
- Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Hua Zhao
- Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, and Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine and Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Shuai Kong
- Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Dan Zhou
- Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- Institutes of Physical Science and Technology, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Jinxiu Dong
- Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Yulan Cheng
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine and Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Shuo Zhang
- Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Andrew Kalra
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine and Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Nina Yang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine and Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Dan-Dan Wei
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
- Hefei Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Yuan-Wei Zhang
- Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - De-Chen Lin
- Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, and Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Stephen J. Meltzer
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine and Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Yan-Yi Jiang
- Institute of Health and Medical Technology, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Gao J, Lan J, Liao H, Yang F, Qiu P, Jin F, Wang S, Shen L, Chao T, Zhang C, Zhu Y. Promising preclinical patient-derived organoid (PDO) and xenograft (PDX) models in upper gastrointestinal cancers: progress and challenges. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:1205. [PMID: 38062430 PMCID: PMC10702130 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11434-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers (gastric cancer, oesophageal cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, etc.) are the most common cancers with the highest morbidity and mortality in the world. The therapy for most GI cancers is difficult and is associated with a poor prognosis. In China, upper GI cancers, mainly gastric cancer (GC) and oesophageal cancer (EC), are very common due to Chinese people's characteristics, and more than half of patients are diagnosed with distant metastatic or locally advanced disease. Compared to other solid cancers, such as lung cancer and breast cancer, personalized therapies, especially targeted therapy and immunotherapy, in GC and EC are relatively lacking, leading to poor prognosis. For a long time, most studies were carried out by using in vitro cancer cell lines or in vivo cell line-derived xenograft models, which are unable to reproduce the characteristics of tumours derived from patients, leading to the possible misguidance of subsequent clinical validation. The patient-derived models represented by patient-derived organoid (PDO) and xenograft (PDX) models, known for their high preservation of patient tumour features, have emerged as a very popular platform that has been widely used in numerous studies, especially in the research and development of antitumour drugs and personalized medicine. Herein, based on some of the available published literature, we review the research and application status of PDO and PDX models in GC and EC, as well as detail their future challenges and prospects, to promote their use in basic and translational studies or personalized therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Gao
- Department of Oncology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer Translational Research, Cancer Institute, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen-Peking University- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianqiang Lan
- Guangdong Research Center of Organoid Engineering and Technology, No. 11 Kaiyuan Avenue, Huangpu District, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haiyan Liao
- Department of Oncology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer Translational Research, Cancer Institute, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen-Peking University- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fang Yang
- Department of Oncology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer Translational Research, Cancer Institute, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen-Peking University- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pei Qiu
- Guangdong Research Center of Organoid Engineering and Technology, No. 11 Kaiyuan Avenue, Huangpu District, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Jin
- Department of Oncology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer Translational Research, Cancer Institute, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen-Peking University- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shubin Wang
- Department of Oncology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer Translational Research, Cancer Institute, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen-Peking University- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lin Shen
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, No. 52 Fucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China
| | - Tengfei Chao
- Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No. 1095 Jiefang Avenue, Qiaokou District, Wuhan, China.
| | - Cheng Zhang
- Key laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, No. 52 Fucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China.
| | - Yu Zhu
- Guangdong Research Center of Organoid Engineering and Technology, No. 11 Kaiyuan Avenue, Huangpu District, Guangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Pellecchia S, Viscido G, Franchini M, Gambardella G. Predicting drug response from single-cell expression profiles of tumours. BMC Med 2023; 21:476. [PMID: 38041118 PMCID: PMC10693176 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-03182-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intra-tumour heterogeneity (ITH) presents a significant obstacle in formulating effective treatment strategies in clinical practice. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has evolved as a powerful instrument for probing ITH at the transcriptional level, offering an unparalleled opportunity for therapeutic intervention. RESULTS Drug response prediction at the single-cell level is an emerging field of research that aims to improve the efficacy and precision of cancer treatments. Here, we introduce DREEP (Drug Response Estimation from single-cell Expression Profiles), a computational method that leverages publicly available pharmacogenomic screens from GDSC2, CTRP2, and PRISM and functional enrichment analysis to predict single-cell drug sensitivity from transcriptomic data. We validated DREEP extensively in vitro using several independent single-cell datasets with over 200 cancer cell lines and showed its accuracy and robustness. Additionally, we also applied DREEP to molecularly barcoded breast cancer cells and identified drugs that can selectively target specific cell populations. CONCLUSIONS DREEP provides an in silico framework to prioritize drugs from single-cell transcriptional profiles of tumours and thus helps in designing personalized treatment strategies and accelerating drug repurposing studies. DREEP is available at https://github.com/gambalab/DREEP .
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simona Pellecchia
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Naples, Italy
- Genomics and Experimental Medicine Program, Scuola Superiore Meridionale, Naples, Italy
| | - Gaetano Viscido
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Naples, Italy
- Department of Chemical, Materials and Industrial Engineering, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Melania Franchini
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Naples, Italy
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Salahudeen AA, Seoane JA, Yuki K, Mah AT, Smith AR, Kolahi K, De la O SM, Hart DJ, Ding J, Ma Z, Barkal SA, Shukla ND, Zhang CH, Cantrell MA, Batish A, Usui T, Root DE, Hahn WC, Curtis C, Kuo CJ. Functional screening of amplification outlier oncogenes in organoid models of early tumorigenesis. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113355. [PMID: 37922313 PMCID: PMC10841581 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Somatic copy number gains are pervasive across cancer types, yet their roles in oncogenesis are insufficiently evaluated. This inadequacy is partly due to copy gains spanning large chromosomal regions, obscuring causal loci. Here, we employed organoid modeling to evaluate candidate oncogenic loci identified via integrative computational analysis of extreme copy gains overlapping with extreme expression dysregulation in The Cancer Genome Atlas. Subsets of "outlier" candidates were contextually screened as tissue-specific cDNA lentiviral libraries within cognate esophagus, oral cavity, colon, stomach, pancreas, and lung organoids bearing initial oncogenic mutations. Iterative analysis nominated the kinase DYRK2 at 12q15 as an amplified head and neck squamous carcinoma oncogene in p53-/- oral mucosal organoids. Similarly, FGF3, amplified at 11q13 in 41% of esophageal squamous carcinomas, promoted p53-/- esophageal organoid growth reversible by small molecule and soluble receptor antagonism of FGFRs. Our studies establish organoid-based contextual screening of candidate genomic drivers, enabling functional evaluation during early tumorigenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ameen A Salahudeen
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; University of Illinois Cancer Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
| | - Jose A Seoane
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Oncology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Cancer Computational Biology Group, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO), 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Kanako Yuki
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Amanda T Mah
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Amber R Smith
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kevin Kolahi
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sean M De la O
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Daniel J Hart
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jie Ding
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Oncology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Zhicheng Ma
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Oncology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Sammy A Barkal
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Navika D Shukla
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Chuck H Zhang
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Michael A Cantrell
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Arpit Batish
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Tatsuya Usui
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - David E Root
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - William C Hahn
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Medical Oncology, 450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Christina Curtis
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Oncology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Genetics, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Calvin J Kuo
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hematology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Iqbal W, Wang Y, Sun P, Zhou X. Modeling Liver Development and Disease in a Dish. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15921. [PMID: 37958904 PMCID: PMC10650907 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Historically, biological research has relied primarily on animal models. While this led to the understanding of numerous human biological processes, inherent species-specific differences make it difficult to answer certain liver-related developmental and disease-specific questions. The advent of 3D organoid models that are either derived from pluripotent stem cells or generated from healthy or diseased tissue-derived stem cells have made it possible to recapitulate the biological aspects of human organs. Organoid technology has been instrumental in understanding the disease mechanism and complements animal models. This review underscores the advances in organoid technology and specifically how liver organoids are used to better understand human-specific biological processes in development and disease. We also discuss advances made in the application of organoid models in drug screening and personalized medicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Waqas Iqbal
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China; (W.I.); (Y.W.); (P.S.)
- Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Yaru Wang
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China; (W.I.); (Y.W.); (P.S.)
- Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Pingnan Sun
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China; (W.I.); (Y.W.); (P.S.)
- Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Xiaoling Zhou
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China; (W.I.); (Y.W.); (P.S.)
- Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Liang F, Xu H, Cheng H, Zhao Y, Zhang J. Patient-derived tumor models: a suitable tool for preclinical studies on esophageal cancer. Cancer Gene Ther 2023; 30:1443-1455. [PMID: 37537209 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-023-00652-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Esophageal cancer (EC) is the tenth most common cancer worldwide and has high morbidity and mortality. Its main subtypes include esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma, which are usually diagnosed during their advanced stages. The biological defects and inability of preclinical models to summarize completely the etiology of multiple factors, the complexity of the tumor microenvironment, and the genetic heterogeneity of tumors severely limit the clinical treatment of EC. Patient-derived models of EC not only retain the tissue structure, cell morphology, and differentiation characteristics of the original tumor, they also retain tumor heterogeneity. Therefore, compared with other preclinical models, they can better predict the efficacy of candidate drugs, explore novel biomarkers, combine with clinical trials, and effectively improve patient prognosis. This review discusses the methods and animals used to establish patient-derived models and genetically engineered mouse models, especially patient-derived xenograft models. It also discusses their advantages, applications, and limitations as preclinical experimental research tools to provide an important reference for the precise personalized treatment of EC and improve the prognosis of patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fan Liang
- Institutes of Health Central Plains, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Hongyan Xu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Hongwei Cheng
- Institutes of Health Central Plains, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Yabo Zhao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Junhe Zhang
- Institutes of Health Central Plains, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China.
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China.
| |
Collapse
|