Standardization of organoid culture in cancer research

Abstract

Establishing a valid in vitro model to represent tumor heterogeneity and biology is critical but challenging. Tumor organoids are self‐assembled three‐dimensional cell clusters which are of great significance for recapitulating the histopathological, genetic, and phenotypic characteristics of primary tissues. The organoid has emerged as an attractive in vitro platform for tumor biology research and high‐throughput drug screening in cancer medicine. Organoids offer unique advantages over cell lines and patient‐derived xenograft models, but there are no standardized methods to guide the culture of organoids, leading to confusion in organoid studies that may affect accurate judgments of tumor biology. This review summarizes the shortcomings of current organoid culture methods, presents the latest research findings on organoid standardization, and proposes an outlook for organoid modeling.

Minimum Information for Conducting and Reporting In Vitro Intracellular Infection Assays

“…Hence, researchers should provide accurate and elaborate details on the isolation and culture of cells, conditions used for maintenance, and analysis methods for the antibacterial efficacy. Readers interested in the use of organoids for infectious disease are recommended to read the standardization review of organoids by Zhou et al 38 While their review focuses on the use of organoids in cancer research, the limitations and standardization methods provided can be translated for infectious disease to some extent.…”

Pancreatic cancer environment: from patient-derived models to single-cell omics

“…Liquid biopsy technology currently available furnishes clinical guidance and real-time analysis based on known tumor indices or mutation data, indicating an extension of genomics-driven precision medicine. 41 Organoids derived from CTC have the dual advantages of organoid technology and liquid biopsy, serving as a complementary approach to liquid biopsy for clinical practice and representing a potential next-generation functional testing model. CTC-derived organoids can better analyze tumor properties in vitro and have broad clinical uses for predicting patients’ metastasis and recurrence risk, assessing drug sensitivity, and elucidating combination treatment regimens.…”

Human patient derived organoids: an emerging precision medicine model for gastrointestinal cancer research

“…Currently, the Matrigel is commonly used as a stereoscopic scaffold to support cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions in organoid culture ( Onfroy-Roy et al, 2020 ; Xu et al, 2021 ). Matrigel is an ECM rich in laminin secreted by Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm tumor system, which contains a variety of growth factors and can regulate cell growth and metabolism ( Kozlowski et al, 2021 ; Zhou et al, 2023 ). In the organoid culture system, the components that also need to be added mainly include activators, inhibitors and other specific cytokines such as epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor, to ensure cell growth and differentiation ( Almeqdadi et al, 2019 ; Seidlitz et al, 2019 ) ( Figure 1 ).…”