Empowering personalized medicine: unleashing the potential of patient-derived explants in clinical practice

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Translational Medicine
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Significant progress in cancer molecular biology has yielded life-saving treatments.
• Standard cancer therapies often cause side effects, necessitating personalized medicine.
• Tumor and patient heterogeneity drives the need for individualized treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize recent advancements in patient-derived explants (PDEs).
• To highlight the clinical utility of PDEs in personalized cancer therapy.
• To discuss various culturing methods and applications of PDEs in solid tumor modeling.

Main Methods:

• Review of different patient-derived explant (PDE) culturing techniques, including free-floating, grid, and sponge scaffold methods.
• Discussion of solid tumor models utilizing PDEs.
• Overview of assays for assessing PDE viability, characteristics, and drug response.

Main Results:

• Various PDE culture methods support long-term viability, nutrient supply, and tissue integrity.
• PDEs serve as valuable models for studying tumor behavior and drug sensitivity.
• Established assays enable comprehensive analysis of PDE characteristics and treatment responses.

Conclusions:

• Patient-derived explants (PDEs) show significant potential for clinical application in personalized cancer medicine.
• Advanced culturing techniques enhance the utility of PDEs for preclinical drug testing.
• PDEs facilitate the study of tumor heterogeneity and individual drug responses, paving the way for tailored therapies.