Role of Patient-Derived Tumor Organoids in Advanced Cancer Research

Cancers originating from the same tissue vary significantly in genetic mutations and patient drug response. Furthermore, tumor tissue is composed of diverse cancer cell clones. This phenomenon, known as "cancer cell heterogeneity," occurs among tumors (between patients) and within individual tumors and is an important mechanism driving resistance to cancer therapy. Therefore, an understanding of cancer cell heterogeneity is essential for the development and delivery of more effective personalized treatments. The cancer cell lines typically used in cancer research cannot accurately replicate this heterogeneity. However, patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTOs), three-dimensional cultures of tumor cells, can precisely replicate the histological, molecular, and cellular heterogeneity of the original tumor. PDTOs generated from human cancers are now widely used as innovative tools in cancer research, including in studies of the mechanisms of cancer development and progression and in screening of anti-cancer drug. This review summarizes recent advances in human tumor research that uses PDTOs.