ONCOLOGY REVOLUTION
Cancer research has been transformed by patient-derived tumor organoids (PDOs) and tumor-on-chip platforms. Unlike immortalized cancer cell lines that lose genetic heterogeneity, PDOs maintain the clonal diversity, tumor microenvironment interactions, and drug resistance mechanisms of the original patient tumor—enabling precision oncology and companion diagnostic development.
KEY APPLICATIONS
- Drug Sensitivity Testing: Patient tumor organoids predict individual treatment response with 80%+ accuracy
- Biomarker Discovery: Genomic profiling linked to drug response identifies stratification markers
- Resistance Mechanisms: Longitudinal organoid culture models acquired drug resistance
- Immuno-Oncology: Tumor-immune co-cultures assess checkpoint inhibitor and CAR-T efficacy
- Combination Therapy: Organoid screens identify synergistic drug combinations
TUMOR TYPES
- Colorectal Cancer: Highest organoid establishment rates (70-90%), extensive biobanks
- Pancreatic Cancer: Critical for this lethal malignancy with few treatment options
- Breast Cancer: Subtype-specific organoids (ER+, HER2+, triple-negative)
- Lung Cancer: NSCLC and SCLC models including rare EGFR mutations
- Brain Tumors: Glioblastoma organoids maintain invasive phenotype
CLINICAL INTEGRATION
Co-clinical trials using patient-matched organoids are being piloted at major cancer centers. Crown Bioscience's HuTumorX platform links 3,000+ PDX models to clinical response data, while Recursion's AI platform analyzes tumor organoid phenotypes to identify novel therapeutic targets.