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Updated: May 3, 2026
Culture, Manipulation, and Orthotopic Transplantation of Mouse Bladder Tumor Organoids
Published on: January 31, 2020
Patient-derived Organoids in Bladder Cancer: Opportunities and Challenges
Martina Radić1, Martin Egger2, Marianna Kruithof-de Julio3
1Department for BioMedical Research, Urology Research Laboratory, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Background And Objective:
Bladder cancer (BLCa) remains a prevalent malignancy with high recurrence rates and limited treatment options. In recent years, patient-derived organoids (PDOs) have emerged as a promising platform for studying cancer biology and therapeutic responses in a personalized manner. Using drug screening, PDOs facilitate the identification of novel therapeutic agents and translational treatment strategies. Moreover, their ability to model patient-specific responses to treatments holds promise for predicting clinical outcomes and guiding treatment decisions. This exploratory review aims to investigate the potential of PDOs in advancing BLCa research and treatment, with an emphasis on translational clinical approaches. Furthermore, we analyze the feasibility of deriving PDOs from minimally invasive blood and urine samples.
Methods:
In addition to exploring hypothetical applications of PDOs for predicting patient outcomes and their ability to model different stages of BLCa, we conducted a comprehensive PubMed search on already published data as well as comprehensive screening of currently ongoing trials implementing PDOs in precision medicine in cancer patients irrespective of the tumor entity.
Key Findings And Limitations:
While the research on BLCa PDOs is advancing rapidly, data on both BLCa PDO research and their clinical application are scarce. Owing to this fact, a narrative review format was chosen for this publication.
Conclusions And Clinical Implications:
BLCa PDOs have the potential to influence the domain of precision medicine and enhance personalized cancer treatment strategies. However, standardized protocols for PDO generation, their ideal clinical application, as well as their impact on outcomes remain to be determined.
Patient Summary:
In this review, we discuss the current state and future needs for the use of patient-derived organoids, small three-dimensional avatars of tumor cells, in bladder cancer. Patient-derived bladder cancer organoids offer a more personalized approach to studying and treating bladder cancer, providing a model that closely resembles the patient's own tumor. These organoids can help researchers identify new treatment options and predict how individual patients may respond to standard therapies. By using minimally invasive samples such as blood and urine, patients can participate in research studies more easily, potentially leading to improved outcomes in bladder cancer treatment.
Insights
Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) offer a personalized approach to bladder cancer (BLCa) research and treatment. These 3D models, derived from patient samples, show promise for predicting therapeutic responses and advancing precision medicine in BLCa.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biotechnology
- Translational Medicine
Background:
- Bladder cancer (BLCa) presents significant challenges due to high recurrence rates and limited therapeutic options.
- Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) are emerging as a powerful tool for personalized cancer research and drug screening.
- PDOs offer a promising platform for modeling BLCa biology and predicting individual patient responses to treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential of PDOs in advancing bladder cancer research and treatment strategies.
- To emphasize the translational clinical applications of PDOs in precision oncology.
- To assess the feasibility of deriving PDOs from minimally invasive samples like blood and urine.
Main Methods:
- A narrative review format was adopted due to the scarcity of published data on BLCa PDOs.
- A comprehensive PubMed search was conducted for existing data on PDOs in cancer research.
- Screening of ongoing clinical trials utilizing PDOs in precision medicine was performed.
Main Results:
- Patient-derived bladder cancer organoids provide a personalized model closely mimicking the patient's tumor.
- PDOs can aid in identifying novel treatment options and predicting patient response to therapies.
- Utilizing minimally invasive samples for PDO derivation can enhance patient participation in research.
Conclusions:
- BLCa PDOs hold significant potential for advancing precision medicine and personalizing cancer treatment.
- Standardized protocols for PDO generation and clinical application require further development.
- The impact of PDOs on patient outcomes and the ideal clinical integration strategies need to be determined.
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