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Updated: Oct 22, 2025
Longitudinal Morphological and Physiological Monitoring of Three-dimensional Tumor Spheroids Using Optical Coherence Tomography
Published on: February 9, 2019
Volumetric growth tracking of patient-derived cancer organoids using optical coherence tomography
Daniel A Gil1,2, Dustin A Deming3,4,5, Melissa C Skala1,2,3
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53704, USA.
Abstract:
Patient-derived cancer organoids (PCOs) are in vitro organotypic models that reflect in vivo drug response, thus PCOs are an accessible model for cancer drug screening in a clinically relevant timeframe. However, current methods to assess the response of PCOs are limited. Here, a custom swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) system was used to rapidly evaluate volumetric growth and drug response in PCOs. This system was optimized for an inverted imaging geometry to enable high-throughput imaging of PCOs. An automated image analysis framework was developed to perform 3D single-organoid tracking of PCOs across multiple time points over 48 hours. Metabolic inhibitors and cancer therapies decreased PCOs volumetric growth rate compared to control PCOs. Single-organoid tracking improved sensitivity to drug treatment compared to a pooled analysis of changes in organoid volume. OCT provided a more accurate assessment of organoid volume compared to a volume estimation method based on 2D projections. Single-organoid tracking with OCT also identified heterogeneity in drug response between solid and hollow PCOs. This work demonstrates that OCT and 3D single-organoid tracking are attractive tools to monitor volumetric growth and drug response in PCOs, providing rapid, non-destructive methods to quantify heterogeneity in PCOs.
Insights
Patient-derived cancer organoids (PCOs) offer a rapid in vitro model for drug screening. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) with 3D tracking precisely measures PCO growth and drug response, revealing treatment heterogeneity.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cancer Research
- Optical Imaging
Background:
- Patient-derived cancer organoids (PCOs) are valuable in vitro models for predicting in vivo drug response.
- Current PCO assessment methods are limited in speed and accuracy for drug screening.
- High-throughput, clinically relevant drug response evaluation is needed for PCOs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a rapid, non-destructive method for evaluating PCO volumetric growth and drug response.
- To assess the utility of swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) and 3D single-organoid tracking for PCO analysis.
- To quantify drug-induced changes and heterogeneity in PCOs.
Main Methods:
- A custom swept-source OCT system with an inverted imaging geometry was utilized for high-throughput PCO imaging.
- An automated image analysis framework enabled 3D single-organoid tracking over 48 hours.
- Volumetric growth rates and drug responses were compared between OCT-based methods and 2D projections.
Main Results:
- OCT and 3D single-organoid tracking accurately assessed PCO volumetric growth and drug response.
- Metabolic inhibitors and cancer therapies significantly reduced PCO volumetric growth rates.
- Single-organoid tracking demonstrated higher sensitivity to drug treatment and identified response heterogeneity.
Conclusions:
- OCT combined with 3D single-organoid tracking provides a rapid, non-destructive tool for monitoring PCOs.
- This approach enhances drug screening efficiency and enables quantification of PCO drug response heterogeneity.
- The developed system offers a promising solution for advancing cancer drug development and personalized medicine.
