Conversion therapy in advanced perihilar cholangiocarcinoma based on patient-derived organoids:A case report

BACKGROUND Patient-derived organoids(PDOs)have been demonstrated to predict the response to drugs in multiple cancer types.However,it remains unclear about its application in cholangiocarcinoma.CASE SUMMARY A 59-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital due to upper abdominal pain for over 8 months.According to relevant examinations,she was diagnosed as perihilar cholangiocarcinoma(pCCA)with intrahepatic metastasis and perihilar lymphatic metastasis.After multidisciplinary team discussion,percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage was performed to relieve biliary obstruction,and puncture biopsy was conducted to confirm the pathological diagnosis.Transarterial chemoembolization with nab-paclitaxel was used in combination with toripalimab and lenvatinib,but the levels of tumor markers including alpha fetal protein,carcinoembryonic antigen,carbohydrate antigen 15-3 and cancer antigen 125 were still raised.The PDO for drug screening showed sensitive to gemcitabine and cisplatin.Accordingly,the chemotherapy regimen was adjusted to gemcitabine and cisplatin in combination with toripalimab and lenvatinib.After 4 cycles of treatment,the tumor was assessed resectable,and radical surgical resection was performed successfully.One year after surgery,the patient was still alive,and no recurrence or occurred.CONCLUSION PDOs for drug sensitivity contribute to screening effective chemotherapy drugs for advanced pCCA,promoting conversion therapy and improving the prognosis.

Pathologic complete response to conversion therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma using patient-derived organoids:A case report

BACKGROUND For primary liver cancer,the key to conversion therapy depends on the effectiveness of drug treatment.Patient-derived tumor organoids have been demonstrated to improve the efficacy of conversion therapy by identifying individualtargeted effective drugs,but their clinical effects in liver cancer remain unknown.CASE SUMMARY We described a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)who achieved pathologic complete response(pCR)to conversion therapy guided by the patientderived organoid(PDO)drug sensitivity testing.Despite insufficiency of the remaining liver volume after hepatectomy,the patient obtained tumor reduction after treatment with the PDO-sensitive drugs and successfully underwent radical surgical resection.Postoperatively,pCR was observed.CONCLUSION PDOs contributes to screening sensitive drugs for HCC patients to realize the personalized treatment and improve the conversion therapy efficacy.

Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and PDO-derived xenografts (PDOXs): New opportunities in establishing faithful pre-clinical cancer models

One of the major bottlenecks in advancing basic cancer research and developing novel cancer therapies is the lack of in vitro pre-clinical models that faithfully recapitulate tumor properties in the patients.Monolayer cultures of cancer cell lines usually lose the heterogeneity of the parental tumors,while patient-derived xenograft(PDX)suffers from its time-and resource-intensive nature.The emergence of organoid culture system and its application in cancer research provides a unique opportunity to develop novel in vitro cancer pre-clinical models.Here we review the recent advances in utilizing organoids culture system and other related three-dimensional culture systems in studying cancer biology,performing drug screening,and developing cancer therapies.In particular,we discuss the advantages of applying xenograft initiated from patient-derived organoids(PDOs)as a faithful cancer pre-clinical model in basic cancer research and precision medicine.

Patient-derived organoids for therapy personalization in inflammatory bowel diseases

Inflammatory bowel diseases(IBDs)are chronic inflammatory disorders of the intestinal tract that have emerged as a growing problem in industrialized countries.Knowledge of IBD pathogenesis is still incomplete,and the most widely-accepted interpretation considers genetic factors,environmental stimuli,uncontrolled immune responses and altered intestinal microbiota composition as determinants of IBD,leading to dysfunction of the intestinal epithelial functions.In vitro models commonly used to study the intestinal barrier do not fully reflect the proper intestinal architecture.An important innovation is represented by organoids,3D in vitro cell structures derived from stem cells that can self-organize into functional organ-specific structures.Organoids may be generated from induced pluripotent stem cells or adult intestinal stem cells of IBD patients and therefore retain their genetic and transcriptomic profile.These models are powerful pharmacological tools to better understand IBD pathogenesis,to study the mechanisms of action on the epithelial barrier of drugs already used in the treatment of IBD,and to evaluate novel target-directed molecules which could improve therapeutic strategies.The aim of this review is to illustrate the potential use of organoids for therapy personalization by focusing on the most significant advances in IBD research achieved through the use of adult stem cells-derived intestinal organoids.

Application of patient-derived tumor models in anticancer drug development and individualized medicine

Malignant tumor is the second leading cause of death due to its high incidence, lack of effective treatment and poor prognosis. The evaluation of anticancer drugs used to based on NCI-60 cell line models, but the limited heterogeneity and the divorce from clinical practice of models lead to extremely low success rate of novel anticancer drugs during clinical trials (less than 10%). In recent years, because of the high heterogeneity and human derived tumor matrix, patient-derived tumor models have been gradually applied to the preclinical evaluation of various antitumor drugs, which shows certain advantages in predicting the clinical efficacy of antitumor drugs. Optimize the drug combination through patient-derived tumor models to achieve individualized medicine has gradually become an indispensable strategy in clinical cancer therapy. The current review summarized the development of patient-derived tumor models, characterized the application, advantages and challenges of them in preclinical antitumor drug evaluation and clinical precise medicine, which will provide a scientific basis and novel insights for further basic research, drug development and clinical application.

Patient-derived organoids potentiate precision medicine in advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma

To investigate the role of patient-derived organoid(PDO)model in the precision medicine of advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma(ccRCC),we retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of seven cases of ccRCC diagnosed by operation and pathology in Renji Hospital from September 2021 to September 2022.The seven patients were diagnosed with advanced ccRCC with or without remote metastasis.Cytoreductive and radical nephrectomy was performed respectively.To predict the response to immunotherapy and provide personalized medicine recommendation,a PDO model based on air-liquid interface system was established from the surgical resected tumor and subsequent drug screening was performed.Hematoxylin and eosin(H&E)staining and immunohistochemistry revealed that the PDO recapitulated the histological feature of parent tumor.Immunofluorescence staining identified that CD3^(+)T cells,SMA^(+)cancer associated fibroblasts,and CD31^(+)endothelial cells were preserved in PDO models.Fluorescence activated cell sorter(FACS)revealed an evidently increased ratio of CD8^(+)/CD4^(+)T cells and apoptotic tumor cells in PDO treated with toripalimab than those treated with IgG4.The results showed that toripalimab is able to rescue the excessive death of CD8^(+)T cells by critically reversing the immune exhaustion state of ccRCC in PDO model.This research validated that PDO is a promising and faithful preclinical model for prediction of immunotherapy response in patients with ccRCC.

The promises and challenges of patient-derived tumor organoids in drug development and precision oncology

In the era of precision medicine,cancer researchers and oncologists are eagerly searching for more realistic,cost effective,and timely tumor models to aid drug development and precision oncology.Tumor models that can faithfully recapitulate the histological and molecular characteristics of various human tumors will be extremely valuable in increasing the successful rate of oncology drug development and discovering the most efficacious treatment regimen for cancer patients.Two‐dimensional(2D)cultured cancer cell lines,genetically engineered mouse tumor(GEMT)models,and patient‐derived tumor xenograft(PDTX)models have been widely used to investigate the biology of various types of cancers and test the efficacy of oncology drug candidates.However,due to either the failure to faithfully recapitulate the complexity of patient tumors in the case of 2D cultured cancer cells,or high cost and untimely for drug screening and testing in the case of GEMT and PDTX,new tumor models are urgently needed.The recently developed patient‐derived tumor organoids(PDTO)offer great potentials in uncovering novel biology of cancer development,accelerating the discovery of oncology drugs,and individualizing the treatment of cancers.In this review,we will summarize the recent progress in utilizing PDTO for oncology drug discovery.In addition,we will discuss the potentials and limitations of the current PDTO tumor models.

Human brain organoid:trends,evolution,and remaining challenges

Advanced brain organoids provide promising platforms for deciphering the cellular and molecular processes of human neural development and diseases.Although various studies and reviews have described developments and advancements in brain organoids,few studies have comprehensively summarized and analyzed the global trends in this area of neuroscience.To identify and further facilitate the development of cerebral organoids,we utilized bibliometrics and visualization methods to analyze the global trends and evolution of brain organoids in the last 10 years.First,annual publications,countries/regions,organizations,journals,authors,co-citations,and keywords relating to brain organoids were identified.The hotspots in this field were also systematically identified.Subsequently,current applications for brain organoids in neuroscience,including human neural development,neural disorders,infectious diseases,regenerative medicine,drug discovery,and toxicity assessment studies,are comprehensively discussed.Towards that end,several considerations regarding the current challenges in brain organoid research and future strategies to advance neuroscience will be presented to further promote their application in neurological research.

Loss of SHROOM3 affects neuroepithelial cell shape through regulating cytoskeleton proteins in cynomolgus monkey organoids

Neural tube defects(NTDs)are severe congenital neurodevelopmental disorders arising from incomplete neural tube closure.Although folate supplementation has been shown to mitigate the incidence of NTDs,some cases,often attributable to genetic factors,remain unpreventable.The SHROOM3 gene has been implicated in NTD cases that are unresponsive to folate supplementation;at present,however,the underlying mechanism remains unclear.Neural tube morphogenesis is a complex process involving the folding of the planar epithelium of the neural plate.To determine the role of SHROOM3 in early developmental morphogenesis,we established a neuroepithelial organoid culture system derived from cynomolgus monkeys to closely mimic the in vivo neural plate phase.Loss of SHROOM3 resulted in shorter neuroepithelial cells and smaller nuclei.These morphological changes were attributed to the insufficient recruitment of cytoskeletal proteins,namely fibrous actin(F-actin),myosin II,and phospho-myosin light chain(PMLC),to the apical side of the neuroepithelial cells.Notably,these defects were not rescued by folate supplementation.RNA sequencing revealed that differentially expressed genes were enriched in biological processes associated with cellular and organ morphogenesis.In summary,we established an authentic in vitro system to study NTDs and identified a novel mechanism for NTDs that are unresponsive to folate supplementation.

Progress in the generation of spinal cord organoids over the past decade and future perspectives

Spinal cord organoids are three-dimensional tissues derived from stem cells that recapitulate the primary morphological and functional characteristics of the spinal cord in vivo.As emerging bioengineering methods have led to the optimization of cell culture protocols,spinal cord organoids technology has made remarkable advancements in the past decade.Our literature search found that current spinal cord organoids do not only dynamically simulate neural tube formation but also exhibit diverse cytoarchitecture along the dorsal-ventral and rostral-caudal axes.Moreover,fused organoids that integrate motor neurons and other regionally specific organoids exhibit intricate neural circuits that allows for functional assessment.These qualities make spinal cord organoids valuable tools for disease modeling,drug screening,and tissue regeneration.By utilizing this emergent technology,researchers have made significant progress in investigating the pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets of spinal cord diseases.However,at present,spinal cord organoid technology remains in its infancy and has not been widely applied in translational medicine.Establishment of the next generation of spinal cord organoids will depend on good manufacturing practice standards and needs to focus on diverse cell phenotypes and electrophysiological functionality evaluation.

Human pluripotent stem cell-derived kidney organoids:Current progress and challenges

Human pluripotent stem cell(hPSC)-derived kidney organoids share similarities with the fetal kidney.However,the current hPSC-derived kidney organoids have some limitations,including the inability to perform nephrogenesis and lack of a corticomedullary definition,uniform vascular system,and coordinated exit path-way for urinary filtrate.Therefore,further studies are required to produce hPSC-derived kidney organoids that accurately mimic human kidneys to facilitate research on kidney development,regeneration,disease modeling,and drug screening.In this review,we discussed recent advances in the generation of hPSC-derived kidney organoids,how these organoids contribute to the understanding of human kidney development and research in disease modeling.Additionally,the limitations,future research focus,and applications of hPSC-derived kidney organoids were highlighted.

Patient-derived xenograft model in colorectal cancer basic and translational research

Colorectal cancer(CRC)is one of the most popular malignancies globally,with 930000 deaths in 2020.The evaluation of CRC-related pathogenesis and the discovery of po-tential therapeutic targets will be meaningful and helpful for improving CRC treat-ment.With huge efforts made in past decades,the systematic treatment regimens have been applied to improve the prognosis of CRC patients.However,the sensitivity of CRC to chemotherapy and targeted therapy is different from person to person,which is an important cause of treatment failure.The emergence of patient-derived xenograft(PDX)models shows great potential to alleviate the straits.PDX models possess similar genetic and pathological characteristics as the features of primary tu-mors.Moreover,PDX has the ability to mimic the tumor microenvironment of the original tumor.Thus,the PDX model is an important tool to screen precise drugs for individualized treatment,seek predictive biomarkers for prognosis supervision,and evaluate the unknown mechanism in basic research.This paper reviews the recent advances in constructed methods and applications of the CRC PDX model,aiming to provide new knowledge for CRC basic research and therapeutics.

Raltitrexed as a synergistic hyperthermia chemotherapy drug screened in patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids

Objective:Organoids have recently been used as in vitro models to screen chemotherapy drugs in combination with hyperthermia treatment in colorectal cancer.Our research aimed to establish a library of patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids to evaluate synergism between chemotherapy drugs and hyperthermia;validate an index of the hyperthermia chemotherapy sensitization enhancement ratio(HCSER)to identify the chemotherapeutics most enhanced by hyperthermia;and recommend chemotherapy drugs for hyperthermic intraperitoneal treatment.Methods:Organoids were grown from cells extracted from colorectal cancer patient samples or colorectal cancer cell lines.Cells from both sources were encapsulated in 3 D Matrigel droplets,which were formulated in microfluidics and phase-transferred into identical cell-laden Matrigel microspheres.The microspheres were seeded in 96-well plates,with each well containing a single microsphere that developed into an organoid after 7 days.The organoids were used to evaluate the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs at both 37℃ as a control and 43℃ for 90 min to examine hyperthermia synergism.Cell viability was counted with 10%CCK8.Results:We successfully established a library of colorectal cancer organoids from 22 patient parental tumors.We examined the hyperthermia synergism of 7 commonly used hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy drugs.In 11 of the 22 patient organoids,raltitrexed had significant hyperthermia synergism,which was indexed as the highest HCSER score within each patient group.Conclusions:Our results primarily demonstrated the use of patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids as in vitro models to evaluate hyperthermia synergistic chemotherapeutics.We found that hyperthermia enhanced the effect of raltitrexed the most among the common anti-colorectal cancer drugs.

Bioengineered skin organoids:from development to applications

Signifcant advancements have been made in recent years in the development of highly sophisticated skin organoids.Serving as three-dimensional(3D)models that mimic human skin,these organoids have evolved into complex structures and are increasingly recognized as efective alternatives to traditional culture models and human skin due to their ability to overcome the limitations of two-dimensional(2D)systems and ethical concerns.The inherent plasticity of skin organoids allows for their construction into physiological and pathological models,enabling the study of skin development and dynamic changes.This review provides an overview of the pivotal work in the progression from 3D layered epidermis to cyst-like skin organoids with appendages.Furthermore,it highlights the latest advancements in organoid construction facilitated by state-of-the-art engineering techniques,such as 3D printing and microfuidic devices.The review also summarizes and discusses the diverse applications of skin organoids in developmental biology,disease modelling,regenerative medicine,and personalized medicine,while considering their prospects and limitations.

Establishment of a chicken intestinal organoid culture system to assess deoxynivalenol‑induced damage of the intestinal barrier function

Background Deoxynivalenol(DON)is a mycotoxin that has received recognition worldwide because of its ability to cause growth delay,nutrient malabsorption,weight loss,emesis,and a reduction of feed intake in livestock.Since DON-contaminated feedstuff is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract,we used chicken organoids to assess the DON-induced dysfunction of the small intestine.Results We established a culture system using chicken organoids and characterized the organoids at passages 1 and 10.We confirmed the mRNA expression levels of various cell markers in the organoids,such as KI67,leucine-rich repeat containing G protein-coupled receptor 5(Lgr5),mucin 2(MUC2),chromogranin A(CHGA),cytokeratin 19(CK19),lysozyme(LYZ),and microtubule-associated doublecortin-like kinase 1(DCLK1),and compared the results to those of the small intestine.Our results showed that the organoids displayed functional similarities in permeability compared to the small intestine.DON damaged the tight junctions of the organoids,which resulted in increased permeability.Conclusions Our organoid culture displayed topological,genetic,and functional similarities with the small intes-tine cells.Based on these similarities,we confirmed that DON causes small intestine dysfunction.Chicken organoids offer a practical model for the research of harmful substances.

Success rate of current human-derived gastric cancer organoids establishment and influencing factors:A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Human-derived gastric cancer organoids(GCOs)are widely used in gastric cancer research;however,the culture success rate is generally low.AIM To explore the potential influencing factors,and the literature on successful culture rates of GCOs was reviewed using meta-analysis.METHODS PubMed,Web of Science,and EMBASE were searched for studies.Two trained researchers selected the studies and extracted data.STATA 17.0 software was used for meta-analysis of the incidence of each outcome event.The adjusted Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies scale was used to assess the quality of the included studies.Funnel plots and Egger’s test were used to detect publication bias.Subgroup analyses were conducted for sex,tissue source,histo-logical classification,and the pathological tumor-node-metastasis(pTNM)cancer staging system.RESULTS Eight studies with a pooled success rate of 66.6%were included.GCOs derived from women and men had success rates of 67%and 46.7%,respectively.GCOs from surgery or biopsy/endoscopic submucosal dissection showed success rates of 70.9%and 53.7%,respectively.GCOs of poorly-differentiated,moderately-differentiated and signet-ring cell cancer showed success rates of 64.6%,31%,and 32.7%,respectively.GCOs with pTNM stages I-II and III-IV showed success rates of 38.3%and 65.2%,respectively.Y-27632 and non-Y-27632 use showed success rates of 58.2%and 70%,respectively.GCOs generated with collagenase were more successful than those constructed with Liberase TH and TrypLE(72.1%vs 71%,respectively).EDTA digestion showed a 50%lower success rate than other methods(P=0.04).CONCLUSION GCO establishment rate is low and varies by sex,tissue source,histological type,and pTNM stage.Omitting Y-27632,and using Liberase TH,TrypLE,or collagenase yields greater success than EDTA.

Non-small cell lung cancer organoids:Advances and challenges in current applications

Lung cancer is emerging as a common malignancy worldwide,with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)accounting for approximately 85%of all cases.Two-dimensional(2D)in vitro cell line cultures and animal models are currently used to study NSCLC.However,2D cell cultures fail to replicate the medication response and neoplastic heterogeneity of parental tumors.Animal models are expensive and require lengthy modeling cycles.The generation of in vitro three-dimensional(3D)tissue cultures called organoids,which exhibit multicellular,anatomical,and functional properties of real organs,is now achievable owing to advancements in stem cell culturing.The genetic,proteomic,morphological,and pharmacological characteristics of tumors are largely preserved in tumor organoids grown in vitro.The design and physiology of human organs can be precisely reconstructed in tumor organoids,opening new possibilities for complementing the use of animal models and studying human diseases.This review summarizes the development of NSCLC organoids and their applications in basic research,drug testing,immunotherapy,and individualized treatments.

Bibliometrics analysis based on the Web of Science:Current trends and perspective of gastric organoid during 2010-2023

BACKGROUND Three-dimensional organoid culture systems have been established as a robust tool for elucidating mechanisms and performing drug efficacy testing.The use of gastric organoid models holds significant promise for advancing personalized medicine research.However,a comprehensive bibliometric review of this burgeoning field has not yet been published.AIM To analyze and understand the development,impact,and direction of gastric organoid research using bibliometric methods using data from the Web of Science Core Collection(WoSCC)database.METHODS This analysis encompassed literature pertaining to gastric organoids published between 2010 and 2023,as indexed in the WoSCC.CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to depict network maps illustrating collaborations among authors,institutions and keywords related to gastric organoid.Citation,co-citation,and burst analysis methodologies were applied to assess the impact and progress of research.RESULTS A total of 656 relevant studies were evaluated.The majority of research was published in gastroenterology-focused journals.Globally,Yana Zavros,Hans Clevers,James M Wells,Sina Bartfeld,and Chen Zheng were the 5 most productive authors,while Hans Clevers,Huch Meritxell,Johan H van Es,Marc Van de Wetering,and Sato Toshiro were the foremost influential scientists in this area.Institutions from the University Medical Center Utrecht,Netherlands Institute for Developmental Biology(Utrecht),and University of Cincinnati(Cincinnati,OH,United States)made the most significant contributions.Currently,gastric organoids are used mainly in studies investigating gastric cancer(GC),Helicobacter pylori-infective gastritis,with a focus on the mechanisms of GC,and drug screening tests.CONCLUSION Key focus areas of research using gastric organoids include unraveling disease mechanisms and enhancing drug screening techniques.Major contributions from renowned academic institutions highlight this field’s dynamic growth.

Advances in the study of gastric organoids as disease models

Gastric organoids are models created in the laboratory using stem cells and sophisticated three-dimensional cell culture techniques.These models have shown great promise in providing valuable insights into gastric physiology and advanced disease research.This review comprehensively summarizes and analyzes the research advances in culture methods and techniques for adult stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived organoids,and patient-derived organoids.The potential value of gastric organoids in studying the pathogenesis of stomach-related diseases and facilitating drug screening is initially discussed.The construction of gastric organoids involves several key steps,including cell extraction and culture,three-dimensional structure formation,and functional expression.Simulating the structure and function of the human stomach by disease modeling with gastric organoids provides a platform to study the mechanism of gastric cancer induction by Helicobacter pylori.In addition,in drug screening and development,gastric organoids can be used as a key tool to evaluate drug efficacy and toxicity in preclinical trials.They can also be used for precision medicine according to the specific conditions of patients with gastric cancer,to assess drug resistance,and to predict the possibility of adverse reactions.However,despite the impressive progress in the field of gastric organoids,there are still many unknowns that need to be addressed,especially in the field of regenerative medicine.Meanwhile,the reproducibility and consistency of organoid cultures are major challenges that must be overcome.These challenges have had a significant impact on the development of gastric organoids.Nonetheless,as technology continues to advance,we can foresee more comprehensive research in the construction of gastric organoids.Such research will provide better solutions for the treatment of stomach-related diseases and personalized medicine.

Visualization analysis of research hotspots and trends on gastrointestinal tumor organoids

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal tumor organoids serve as an effective model for simulating cancer in vitro and have been applied in basic biology and preclinical research.Despite over a decade of development and increasing research achievements in this field,a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the research hotspots and future trends is lacking.AIM To address this problem by employing bibliometric tools to explore the publication years,countries/regions,institutions,journals,authors,keywords,and references in this field.METHODS The literature was collected from Web of Science databases.CiteSpace-6.2R4,a widely used bibliometric analysis software package,was used for institutional analysis and reference burst analysis.VOSviewer 1.6.19 was used for journal cocitation analysis,author co-authorship and co-citation analysis.The‘online platform for bibliometric analysis(https://bibliometric.com/app)’was used to assess the total number of publications and the cooperation relationships between countries.Finally,we employed the bibliometric R software package(version R.4.3.1)in R-studio,for a comprehensive scientific analysis of the literature.RESULTS Our analysis included a total of 1466 publications,revealing a significant yearly increase in articles on the study of gastrointestinal tumor organoids.The United States(n=393)and Helmholtz Association(n=93)have emerged as the leading countries and institutions,respectively,in this field,with Hans Clevers and Toshiro Sato being the most contributing authors.The most influential journal in this field is Gastroenterology.The most impactful reference is"Long term expansion of epithelial organs from human colon,adenoma,adenocarcinoma,and Barrett's epithelium".Keywords analysis and citation burst analysis indicate that precision medicine,disease modeling,drug development and screening,and regenerative medicine are the most cutting-edge directions.These focal points were further detailed based on the literature.CONCLUSION This bibliometric study offers an objective and quantitative analysis of the research in this field,which can be considered as an important guide for next scientific research.