Precision oncology using ex vivo technology: a step towards individualised cancer care?

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Genomic Medicine
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Metastatic cancer remains largely incurable despite advances in cancer genomics and genomic medicine.
• Traditional drug discovery faces diminishing returns and high clinical failure rates.
• Ex vivo approaches are emerging as alternative platforms for cancer drug discovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the challenges and current literature for ex vivo approaches in clinical practice.
• To explore the potential of ex vivo methods to enhance genomic medicine and personalize cancer therapy.
• To outline the transition of ex vivo approaches from research tools to validated predictive clinical tools.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of contemporary research on ex vivo approaches in cancer drug discovery.
• Analysis of challenges hindering the clinical translation of ex vivo techniques.
• Mapping the potential pathway for ex vivo approaches to become robust predictive tools.

Main Results:

• Ex vivo approaches embed biological relevance and inter-patient variability early in drug discovery.
• These techniques have the potential to offer personalized therapies and improve treatment stratification.
• A minority of ex vivo techniques have progressed to direct patient treatment in clinical trials.

Conclusions:

• Ex vivo approaches can complement and enhance genomic medicine for personalized cancer treatment.
• Overcoming current challenges is crucial for the clinical integration of ex vivo methods.
• Future integration of ex vivo approaches into clinical cancer pathways may improve patient outcomes and experiences.