Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2025
Ovarian Cancer Patient-Derived Organoid Models for Pre-Clinical Drug Testing
Published on: September 15, 2023
Ovarian Cancer Patient-Derived Organoid Models for Pre-Clinical Drug Testing
Bisiayo E Fashemi1, Lillian van Biljon1, Jeimmy Rodriguez1
1Washington University of Medicine in St. Louis.
Abstract:
Ovarian cancer is a fatal gynecologic cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Developing new drug treatments is crucial to advancing healthcare and improving patient outcomes. Organoids are in-vitro three-dimensional multicellular miniature organs. Patient-derived organoid (PDO) models of ovarian cancer may be optimal for drug screening because they more accurately recapitulate tissues of interest than two-dimensional cell culture models and are inexpensive compared to patient-derived xenografts. In addition, ovarian cancer PDOs mimic the variable tumor microenvironment and genetic background typically observed in ovarian cancer. Here, a method is described that can be used to test conventional and novel drugs on PDOs derived from ovarian cancer tissue and ascites. A luminescence-based adenosine triphosphate (ATP) assay is used to measure viability, growth rate, and drug sensitivity. Drug screens in PDOs can be completed in 7-10 days, depending on the rate of organoid formation and drug treatments.
Insights
Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) offer a promising, cost-effective model for ovarian cancer drug screening. This method rapidly assesses drug effectiveness, improving patient treatment strategies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biotechnology
- Genomics
Background:
- Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in women, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
- Current drug screening models like 2D cultures and xenografts have limitations in recapitulating patient-specific tumor characteristics.
- Organoid technology presents a potential solution for personalized cancer treatment development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish and validate a method for drug screening using patient-derived organoids (PDOs) from ovarian cancer.
- To assess the utility of PDOs in evaluating the efficacy of both conventional and novel anti-cancer drugs.
- To demonstrate the speed and accuracy of PDO-based drug screening for ovarian cancer.
Main Methods:
- Development of a drug screening platform utilizing ovarian cancer patient-derived organoids (PDOs) from tumor tissue and ascites.
- Employment of a luminescence-based adenosine triphosphate (ATP) assay to quantify cell viability and growth rate.
- Application of the assay to assess drug sensitivity across a range of conventional and novel therapeutic agents.
Main Results:
- Ovarian cancer PDOs accurately mimic the genetic background and tumor microenvironment of patient tumors.
- The described method allows for rapid drug screening, with results obtainable in 7-10 days.
- The ATP assay effectively measures organoid viability, growth rate, and response to various drug treatments.
Conclusions:
- Patient-derived organoids provide a robust and efficient preclinical model for ovarian cancer drug discovery and development.
- This PDO-based drug screening approach has the potential to accelerate the identification of effective treatments for ovarian cancer patients.
- The method's ability to recapitulate patient-specific tumor biology offers a pathway towards more personalized cancer therapies.
