From Petri dish to patient care: organoids bring personalized cancer therapy closer

Tiny, three-dimensional organoid models are reshaping cancer research by recreating the intricate architecture and diversity of human tumors. Unlike conventional flat cell cultures or animal models, organoids capture the true complexity of cancer growth, drug resistance, and immune responses. When combined with technologies such as microfluidics, single-cell sequencing, and proteomics, these mini-tumors provide a living laboratory to test drugs, study tumor evolution, and even design personalized cancer vaccines. Their predictive accuracy, already demonstrated in clinical studies, points to a future where therapies are tailored more precisely than ever before, transforming both research pipelines and patient outcomes.

For decades, cancer research has relied on simplified models that fall short of replicating the true nature of human tumors. Flat cell cultures often lose genetic integrity and lack the surrounding microenvironment, while animal models are costly, slow, and biologically different from humans. These limitations have left a critical gap between laboratory results and clinical success, contributing to high drug failure rates and limited progress in personalized care. The challenge is clear: researchers need models that preserve tumor heterogeneity, reflect real patient biology, and predict treatment responses with greater accuracy. Due to these problems, researchers need to explore organoid models to advance cancer therapy and vaccine development.

A team from Peking University People's Hospital has published (DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0127) a new review in Cancer Biology & Medicine. Their work outlines how organoid models are driving a revolution in cancer research—providing realistic, patient-derived systems to test therapies, understand immune interactions, and accelerate vaccine development. The review not only charts the scientific progress of organoids but also highlights their growing role in shaping the future of precision medicine.

Organoids are cultivated from patient tumor tissues or stem cells, faithfully reproducing the genetic mutations and microenvironments of the original tumors. Their strength lies in preserving heterogeneity: in colorectal and gastric cancers, organoid drug response testing has mirrored clinical outcomes with striking accuracy. Beyond chemotherapy, organoid co-cultures with immune cells have become a breakthrough platform for studying checkpoint inhibitors and CAR-T cell therapies, directly linking lab findings with patient survival outcomes.

Technological advances are amplifying these possibilities. Microfluidic "organoid-on-a-chip" systems mimic dynamic processes like metastasis, while proteomics and single-cell sequencing unravel hidden signaling pathways and clonal diversity. Together, these tools provide unparalleled insight into tumor biology. Importantly, organoids are not confined to treatment validation—they also enable antigen screening and vaccine development by preserving tumor-specific features and simulating immune responses in vitro.

By merging patient-derived biology with high-throughput and high-resolution technologies, organoids offer researchers the means to move from general cancer models toward individualized treatment strategies, bringing personalized oncology into sharper focus.

"Organoids have transformed the way we approach cancer research," said Dr. Kezhong Chen, senior author of the review. "They allow us to study tumors as living ecosystems, capturing both genetic complexity and immune dynamics. This means we can test therapies in conditions far closer to reality and predict how individual patients might respond. The potential is immense—not only for refining today's treatments but also for developing tomorrow's personalized cancer vaccines. Organoids bridge the gap between the lab and the clinic in ways we could only imagine a decade ago."

The impact of organoid research stretches from the laboratory bench to the patient's bedside. Clinicians can use organoids to guide therapy choices and reduce exposure to ineffective drugs, while researchers gain a platform to explore drug resistance and identify biomarkers with precision. Pharmaceutical pipelines may become faster and less costly as organoids reduce reliance on animal testing and streamline early-stage trials. In vaccine development, organoids stand poised to personalize immune strategies by predicting patient-specific responses. Although challenges remain in culture standardization and long-term stability, organoids promise to accelerate the transition toward precision oncology and bring hope for more effective, tailored cancer care.

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References

DOI

10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0127

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2025.0127

Funding information

This work was supported by the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Grant No. 2021RU002), Beijing Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. Z240013), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 82450111, 82388102, 82373416, and 92259303), Beijing Research Ward Excellence Program (Grant Nos. BRWEP2024W034080200 and BRWEP2024W034080204), and Peking University People's Hospital Research and Development Funds (Grant No. RZG2024-02).

About Cancer Biology & Medicine

Cancer Biology & Medicine (CBM) is a peer-reviewed open-access journal sponsored by China Anti-cancer Association (CACA) and Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital. The journal monthly provides innovative and significant information on biological basis of cancer, cancer microenvironment, translational cancer research, and all aspects of clinical cancer research. The journal also publishes significant perspectives on indigenous cancer types in China. The journal is indexed in SCOPUS, MEDLINE and SCI (IF 8.4, 5-year IF 6.7), with all full texts freely visible to clinicians and researchers all over the world.