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Updated: Dec 30, 2025
Culture of Bladder Cancer Organoids as Precision Medicine Tools
Published on: December 28, 2021
Organoids as Oracles for Precision Medicine in Rectal Cancer
Kevin S Kolahi1, Michitaka Nakano2, Calvin J Kuo2
1Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Abstract:
Two recent papers in Cell Stem Cell and Nature Medicine (Yao et al. [2019] and Ganesh et al. [2019]) demonstrate the successful use of rectal cancer patient-derived organoids to predict patient responses to neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy, paving the way toward a new paradigm for precision medicine.
Insights
Patient-derived organoids accurately predict rectal cancer responses to neoadjuvant chemoradiation. This breakthrough supports personalized medicine by guiding treatment selection for better patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Gastroenterology
- Translational Medicine
Background:
- Neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NCRT) is standard for rectal cancer.
- Predicting individual patient response to NCRT remains challenging.
- Organoid technology offers a promising platform for personalized treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the predictive accuracy of rectal cancer patient-derived organoids (PDOs) for NCRT response.
- To establish PDOs as a viable tool for precision medicine in rectal cancer treatment.
Main Methods:
- Establishment of PDOs from rectal cancer patient biopsies.
- Culture and treatment of PDOs with relevant chemoradiation agents.
- Correlation of PDO response with clinical outcomes following NCRT.
Main Results:
- PDOs successfully predicted patient response to neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy.
- Organoid drug sensitivity assays mirrored in vivo treatment efficacy.
- Demonstrated potential for guiding clinical treatment decisions.
Conclusions:
- Rectal cancer PDOs are effective preclinical models for predicting NCRT response.
- This approach represents a significant advancement toward personalized rectal cancer therapy.
- PDOs facilitate a new paradigm for precision medicine in oncology.
