Organoid Models of Human Liver Cancers Derived from Tumor Needle Biopsies

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Gastroenterology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality globally.
• Sorafenib is the primary treatment for advanced HCC, but its efficacy is limited by tumor heterogeneity, drug resistance, and adverse effects.
• Existing in vitro models do not adequately represent HCC features.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generate and characterize long-term organoid cultures from HCC patient needle biopsies.
• To assess the utility of these organoid models for predicting treatment response.

Main Methods:

• Generation of long-term organoid cultures from HCC patient needle biopsies.
• Characterization of organoid morphology and expression of HCC tumor markers.
• Assessment of genetic heterogeneity preservation in organoids.
• Proof-of-principle study using organoids to test sorafenib sensitivity.

Main Results:

• Successfully generated stable HCC organoid cultures from diverse patient samples.
• HCC organoids maintained original tumor morphology, marker expression, and genetic heterogeneity.
• Organoids demonstrated potential for predicting sorafenib sensitivity in a proof-of-principle study.

Conclusions:

• Organoid models can be reliably derived from HCC needle biopsies.
• These models recapitulate key features of the originating tumors.
• Liver cancer organoids offer a promising platform for developing personalized therapeutic strategies.