Name: ovarian cancer patient-derived organoid models for pre-clinical drug testing
Uploaded: 2023-09-15T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Ovarian Cancer Patient-Derived Organoid Models for Pre-Clinical Drug Testing at JoVE.com

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01CA243511. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. The authors thank Deborah Frank for her editorial comments.

The collection of human specimens for this research was approved by the Washington University School of Medicine Institutional Review Board. All eligible patients over the age of 18 years had a diagnosis or presumed diagnosis of high-grade serous ovarian cancer and were willing and able to provide informed consent. The tumor tissue from either primary or metastatic sites, in addition to ascites and pleural fluid, were obtained from consented patients at the time of care.
1. Selection of ...

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This article describes a method that can be used to assess the therapeutic effects of conventional or novel drugs on ovarian cancer PDOs. Researchers must consider several issues before conducting the viability assay in the PDO model.
First, when selecting a PDO to use in the viability assay, one must determine the ideal organoid type (tumor vs. ascites) and passage number for their needs. In our experience, ascites-derived PDOs grow more rapidly and are easier to generate than tumor-...

Although rare, ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal gynecological cancers1,2. A challenge in developing new treatments is that ovarian cancer is heterogeneous, and the tumor microenvironment differs greatly among patients. Additionally, many ovarian cancers develop resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, highlighting the need for greater therapeutic options3,4,5.
One approach that may be useful in identifying new therapeutics is using patient-derived organoids (PDOs). Organoids are three-dimensional clusters of multiple cell types that self-organize and form in vitro&#160;&#34;mini-organs&#34;6,7,8,9,10. Organoids can recapitulate important tissue morphology and gene expression profiles11,12. Some of the first organoids were derived from intestinal, gastric, and colon cancer cells from both mice and humans8,9,13. Long-lived organoid cultures have been established from a wide range of benign and malignant tissues, including the bladder, colon, stomach, pancreas, brain, retina, and liver14,15,16. We previously demonstrated methods to establish PDOs from ovarian cancer tumors and ascites samples17. PDOs can be used to study molecular characteristics, cellular mechanisms, and novel drug treatments18,19,20. PDOs have several advantages over traditional two-dimensional primary cell cultures for drug screening. Although primary two-dimensional cultures are a low-cost method for drug screens, primary cell cultures are single-cell types and lack the three-dimensional architecture of tumors21,22,23. Nevertheless, PDOs are a precious resource, and cost-effective protocols are needed to optimize their use in therapeutic drug screening.
This article describes an in vitro method to use ovarian cancer PDOs to test the effects of known or candidate drugs. Whereas current medium- and high-throughput drug screens using PDOs require expensive automated dispensing instruments24,25,26, this cost-effective method uses readily available basic lab supplies and an ATP-based cell viability assay in a standard 96-well plate format (Figure 1A). This method will facilitate preliminary tests of novel ovarian cancer drugs prior to scaling up to larger screens27,28. Although ovarian cancer PDOs are used here, this method can be applied to other cancer organoid models.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>1.5 mL Plastic Tubes</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>15 mL Plastic Tubes</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>96 well Flat Black Plates</td>
			<td>MidSci</td>
			<td>781968</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Advance Organoid Media&#160;</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>see Graham et al 2022 (Jove)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Advanced DMEM/F12</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>12634028</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Automated Cell Counter</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>AMQAX1000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Brightfield Microscope</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Carboplatin&#160;</td>
			<td>Teva&#160;Pharmaceuticals&#160;USA</td>
			<td>NDC&#160;00703-4246-01</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>CellTiter-Glo 3D Viability&#160;</td>
			<td>Promega</td>
			<td>G9681</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cultrex</td>
			<td>R &#38; D Systems</td>
			<td>3533-010-02</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMSO</td>
			<td>Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td>D2650-100ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Glutamax</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>35050061</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GR Calculator&#160;</td>
			<td>http://www.grcalculator.org</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Online calculator</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GraphPad Prism</td>
			<td>GraphPad Software, Inc.</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HEPES</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>15630080</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Matrigel</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>354230</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Microsoft Excel</td>
			<td>Microsoft</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Penicillin-Streptomycin</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>15140122</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plate Rocker</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sterile P10, P200, and P1000 Barrier Sterile Pipette Tips</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sterile P10, P200, and P1000 Pipettes</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tecan Infinte 200Pro Plate Reader; i-Control Software</td>
			<td>Tecan</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TrypLE</td>
			<td>Thermo Fisher</td>
			<td>12605010</td>
			<td>Organoid dissociation reagent</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

ovarian cancer patient-derived organoid models for pre-clinical drug testing

Ovarian cancer is a fatal gynecologic cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Developing new drug treatments is crucial to advancing healthcare and improving patient outcomes. Organoids are in-vitro three-dimensional multicellular miniature organs. Patient-derived organoid (PDO) models of ovarian cancer may be optimal for drug screening because they more accurately recapitulate tissues of interest than two-dimensional cell culture models and are inexpensive compared to patient-derived xenografts. In addition, ovarian cancer PDOs mimic the variable tumor microenvironment and genetic background typically observed in ovarian cancer. Here, a method is described that can be used to test conventional and novel drugs on PDOs derived from ovarian cancer tissue and ascites. A luminescence-based adenosine triphosphate (ATP) assay is used to measure viability, growth rate, and drug sensitivity. Drug screens in PDOs can be completed in 7-10 days, depending on the rate of organoid formation and drug treatments.

These results illustrate the response of two PDOs to the chemotherapy drug carboplatin, which is used to treat ovarian cancer. Organoids were derived from tumor biopsy (PDO #1) and from ascites (PDO #2). These organoids were selected based on their perceived doubling time (1-2 days) and morphological appearance (formation of many large organoids). Both PDO #1 and PDO #2 were plated on Day -2, at passage two, and carboplatin was added on Day 0. We tested the following carboplatin concentrations diluted in Advance Organoid...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Ovarian Cancer Patient-Derived Organoid Models for Pre-Clinical Drug Testing at JoVE.com

Ovarian Cancer Patient-Derived Organoid Models for Pre-Clinical Drug Testing

We present a protocol that can be used to conduct therapeutic drug testing with patient-derived ovarian cancer organoids.

Ovarian cancer is a fatal gynecologic cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Developing new drug treatments ...

This protocol describes a low cost method for performing drug viability assays using patient-derived ovarian cancer organoids. The main advantages of this technique are the use of low cost and readily available materials and lab equipment. This method can be used before undertaking expensive high-throughput drug screens.Although the method deals with performing drug viability assays in patient-derived ovarian cancer organoids, it can be applied to any organoid system, including those that are murine derived. To begin, observe the basement membrane extract or BME containing organoids under a brightfield microscope to ensure 70 to 90%confluency. Using a pipette, add one to two milliliters of prewarmed base media to the well containing the organoids and mechanically dissociate the organoids by pipetting them up and down.Transfer the entire organoid suspension to a 15-milliliter conical tube and vortex the tube for five to 10 seconds to further disaggregate the cells. Then, centrifuge the cells at 1, 107 G for five minutes at room temperature. Using a single-channel pipette, aspirate and discard the supernatant.Resuspend the pellet in one milliliter of organoid dissociation reagent prewarmed to 37 degrees Celsius, and transfer the suspension to a 1.5-milliliter micro centrifuge tube. Incubate the sample for seven minutes at 37 degrees Celsius. Then centrifuge the result in cell suspension at 1, 107 G for five minutes at room temperature.After discarding the supernatant, resuspend the cell pellet in one milliliter of prewarmed base media. Reconstitute the cells in a mix of base media and BME, maintaining a final concentration of 20, 000 cells per 10 microliters. Plate one three-microliter droplet of the resuspended cells per well of a black opaque 96 well plate.Incubate the plate in a cell culture incubator at 37 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes. Finally, add 100 microliters of prewarmed advanced organoid media to each well before incubating the plate at 37 degrees Celsius for 24 to 72 hours. Perform drug treatment of the organoids two days after plating them.Perform viability assay on the organoids seven days after drug treatment. Add 100 microliters of viability assay reagent to each well, bringing the total volume to 200 microliters, and shake the plate at 80 RPM for five minutes. Then allow the plate to incubate at room temperature for an additional 25 minutes.Meanwhile, switch on the bioluminescence plate reader and open the eye control software. Navigate to connect to instrument"and select Infinite 200Pro"Select luminescence"and default script"Next from the dropdown menu, choose BD 96 FB Falcon BD Falcon 96 Flat Black"as the plate type to set the luminescence parameters. Assign attenuation as none.Integration time as 1000 milliseconds and settle time as zero milliseconds. Finally, uncover the plate, load it onto the plate reader, and press start"to begin. Brightfield images were acquired for the two different patient-derived organoids, or PDOs, used in the protocol.PDO one, derived from a tumor biopsy and PDO two derived from ascites. Results of the viability assay revealed the percentage of live cells in PDO one and PDO two after both were treated with varying concentrations of carboplatin. The calculated growth rate, or GR values, were plotted against the corresponding carboplatin concentrations, and the GR metrics revealed that the GR50 value for PDO one was much higher than that for PDO two.This indicated that PDO one was more resistant to platinum chemotherapy While plating, it is crucial that the three-microliter droplet of the cell suspension is placed directly in the center of the well. If the droplet is placed to close to the edge of the well, it may cause the droplet to collapse, affecting the assay results.

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Research

JoVE Journal

Cancer Research

Physiologic Patient Derived 3D Spheroids for Anti-neoplastic Drug Screening to Target Cancer Stem Cells

In this protocol, we outline the procedure for generation of tumor spheroids within 384-well hanging droplets to allow for high-throughput screening of anti-cancer therapeutics in a physiologically representative microenvironment. We outline the formation of patient derived cancer stem cell spheroids, as well as, the manipulation of these spheroids for thorough analysis following drug treatment. Specifically, we describe collection of spheroid morphology, proliferation, viability, drug toxicity, cell phenotype and cell localization data. This protocol focuses heavily on analysis techniques that are easily implemented using the 384-well hanging drop platform, making it ideal for high throughput drug screening. While we emphasize the importance of this model in ovarian cancer studies and cancer stem cell research, the 384-well platform is amenable to research of other cancer types and disease models, extending the utility of the platform to many fields. By improving the speed of personalized drug screening and the quality of screening results through easily implemented physiologically representative 3D cultures, this platform is predicted to aid in the development of new therapeutics and patient-specific treatment strategies, and thus have wide-reaching clinical impact.

This protocol describes generation of patient-derived spheroids, and downstream analysis including quantification of proliferation, cytotoxicity testing, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining and confocal imaging, in order to assess drug candidates&#8217; potential as anti-neoplastic therapeutics. This protocol supports precision medicine with identification of specific drugs for each patient and stage of disease.

In this protocol, we outline the procedure for generation of tumor spheroids within 384-well hanging droplets to allow for high-throughput screening of ...

Establishment of Gastric Cancer Patient-derived Xenograft Models and Primary Cell Lines

The use of preclinical models to advance our understanding of tumor biology and investigate the efficacy of therapeutic agents is key to cancer research. Although there are many established gastric cancer cell lines and many conventional transgenic mouse models for preclinical research, the disadvantages of these in vitro and in vivo models limit their applications. Because the characteristics of these models have changed in culture, they no longer model tumor heterogeneity, and their responses have not been able to predict responses in humans. Thus, alternative models that better represent tumor heterogeneity are being developed. Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models preserve the histologic appearance of cancer cells, retain intratumoral heterogeneity, and better reflect the relevant human components of the tumor microenvironment. However, it usually takes 4-8 months to develop a PDX model, which is longer than the expected survival of many gastric patients. For this reason, establishing primary cancer cell lines may be an effective complementary method for drug response studies. The current protocol describes methods to establish PDX models and primary cancer cell lines from surgical gastric cancer samples. These methods provide a useful tool for drug development and cancer biology research.

The current protocol describes methods to establish patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models and primary cancer cell lines from surgical gastric cancer samples. The methods provide a useful tool for drug development and cancer biology research.

The use of preclinical models to advance our understanding of tumor biology and investigate the efficacy of therapeutic agents is key to cancer research. ...

Isolation and Characterization of Patient-derived Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Organoid Models

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is amongst the most lethal malignancies. Recently, next-generation organoid culture methods enabling the 3-dimensional (3D) modeling of this disease have been described. Patient-derived organoid (PDO) models can be isolated from both surgical specimens as well as small biopsies and form rapidly in culture. Importantly, organoid models preserve the pathogenic genetic alterations detected in the patient&#39;s tumor and are predictive of the patient&#39;s treatment response, thus enabling translational studies. Here, we provide comprehensive protocols for adapting tissue culture workflow to study 3D, matrix embedded, organoid models. We detail methods and considerations for isolating and propagating primary PDAC organoids. Furthermore, we describe how bespoke organoid media is prepared and quality controlled in the laboratory. Finally, we describe assays for downstream characterization of the organoid models such as isolation of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), and drug testing. Importantly we provide critical considerations for implementing organoid methodology in a research laboratory.

Patient-derived organoid cultures of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma are a rapidly established 3-dimensional model that represent epithelial tumor cell compartments with high fidelity, enabling translational research into this lethal malignancy. Here, we provide detailed methods to establish and propagate organoids as well as to perform relevant biological assays using these models.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is amongst the most lethal malignancies. Recently, next-generation organoid culture methods enabling the ...

Testing Targeted Therapies in Cancer using Structural DNA Alteration Analysis and Patient-Derived Xenografts

We present here an integrative approach for testing efficacy of targeted therapies that combines the next generation sequencing technolo-gies, therapeutic target analyses and drug response monitoring using patient derived xenografts (PDX). This strategy was validated using ovarian tumors as an example. The mate-pair next generation sequencing (MPseq) protocol was used to identify structural alterations and followed by analysis of potentially targetable alterations. Human tumors grown in immunocompromised mice were treated with drugs selected based on the genomic analyses. Results demonstrated a good correlation between the predicted and the observed responses in the PDX model. The presented approach can be used to test the efficacy of combination treatments and aid personalized treatment for patients with recurrent cancer, specifically in cases when standard therapy fails and there is a need to use drugs off label.

Here we present a protocol to test the efficacy of targeted therapies selected based on the genomic makeup of a tumor. The protocol describes identification and validation of structural DNA rearrangements, engraftment of patients&#8217; tumors into mice and testing responses to corresponding drugs.

We present here an integrative approach for testing efficacy of targeted therapies that combines the next generation sequencing technolo-gies, therapeutic ...

Drug Screening of Primary Patient Derived Tumor Xenografts in Zebrafish

Patient derived xenograft models are critical in defining how different cancers respond to drug treatment in an in vivo system. Mouse models are the standard in the field, but zebrafish have emerged as an alternative model with several advantages, including the ability for high-throughput and low-cost drug screening. Zebrafish also allow for in vivo drug screening with large replicate numbers that were previously only obtainable with in vitro systems. The ability to rapidly perform large scale drug screens may open up the possibility for personalized medicine with rapid translation of results back to clinic. Zebrafish xenograft models could also be used to rapidly screen for actionable mutations based on tumor response to targeted therapies or to identify new anti-cancer compounds from large libraries. The current major limitation in the field has been quantifying and automating the process so that drug screens can be done on a larger scale and be less labor-intensive. We have developed a workflow for xenografting primary patient samples into zebrafish larvae and performing large scale drug screens using a fluorescence microscope equipped imaging unit and automated sampler unit. This method allows for standardization and quantification of engrafted tumor area and response to drug treatment across large numbers of zebrafish larvae. Overall, this method is advantageous over traditional cell culture drug screening as it allows for growth of tumor cells in an in vivo environment throughout drug treatment, and is more practical and cost-effective than mice for large scale in vivo drug screens.

Zebrafish xenograft models allow for high-throughput drug screening and fluorescent imaging of human cancer cells in an in vivo microenvironment. We developed a workflow for large scale, automated drug screening on patient-derived leukemia samples in zebrafish using an automated fluorescence microscope equipped imaging unit.

Patient derived xenograft models are critical in defining how different cancers respond to drug treatment in an in vivo system. Mouse models are the ...

Patient-Derived Tumor Explants As a "Live" Preclinical Platform for Predicting Drug Resistance in Patients

An understanding of drug resistance and the development of novel strategies to sensitize highly resistant cancers rely on the availability of suitable preclinical models that can accurately predict patient responses. One of the disadvantages of existing preclinical models is the inability to contextually preserve the human tumor microenvironment (TME) and accurately represent intratumoral heterogeneity, thus limiting the clinical translation of data. By contrast, by representing the culture of live fragments of human tumors, the patient-derived explant (PDE) platform allows drug responses to be examined in a three-dimensional (3D) context that mirrors the pathological and architectural features of the original tumors as closely as possible. Previous reports with PDEs have documented the ability of the platform to distinguish chemosensitive from chemoresistant tumors, and it has been shown that this segregation is predictive of patient responses to the same chemotherapies. Simultaneously, PDEs allow the opportunity to interrogate molecular, genetic, and histological features of tumors that predict drug responses, thereby identifying biomarkers for patient stratification as well as novel interventional approaches to sensitize resistant tumors. This paper reports PDE methodology in detail, from collection of patient samples through to endpoint analysis. It provides a detailed description of explant derivation and culture methods, highlighting bespoke conditions for particular tumors, where appropriate. For endpoint analysis, there is a focus on multiplexed immunofluorescence and multispectral imaging for the spatial profiling of key biomarkers within both tumoral and stromal regions. By combining these methods, it is possible to generate quantitative and qualitative drug response data that can be related to various clinicopathological parameters and thus potentially be used for biomarker identification.

This paper describes methods for the generation, drug treatment, and analysis of patient-derived explants for assessing tumor drug responses in a live, patient-relevant, preclinical model system.

An understanding of drug resistance and the development of novel strategies to sensitize highly resistant cancers rely on the availability of suitable ...

Generation and Culturing of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Patient-Derived Organoids

Organoids are 3D dynamic tumor models that can be grown successfully from patient-derived ovarian tumor tissue, ascites, or pleural fluid and aid in the discovery of novel therapeutics and predictive biomarkers for ovarian cancer. These models recapitulate clonal heterogeneity, the tumor microenvironment, and cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Additionally, they have been shown to match the primary tumor morphologically, cytologically, immunohistochemically, and genetically. Thus, organoids facilitate research on tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment and are superior to cell lines. The present protocol describes distinct methods to generate patient-derived ovarian cancer organoids from patient tumors, ascites, and pleural fluid samples with a higher than 97% success rate. The patient samples are separated into cellular suspensions by both mechanical and enzymatic digestion. The cells are then plated utilizing a basement membrane extract (BME) and are supported with optimized growth media containing supplements specific to the culturing of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). After forming initial organoids, the PDOs can sustain long-term culture, including passaging for expansion for subsequent experiments.

Patient-derived organoids (PDO) are a three-dimensional (3D) culture that can mimic the tumor environment in vitro. In high-grade serous ovarian cancer, PDOs represent a model to study novel biomarkers and therapeutics.

Organoids are 3D dynamic tumor models that can be grown successfully from patient-derived ovarian tumor tissue, ascites, or pleural fluid and aid in the ...

Visualizing DNA Damage Repair Proteins in Patient-Derived Ovarian Cancer Organoids via Immunofluorescence Assays

Immunofluorescence is one of the most widely used techniques to visualize target antigens with high sensitivity and specificity, allowing for the accurate identification and localization of proteins, glycans, and small molecules. While this technique is well-established in two-dimensional (2D) cell culture, less is known about its use in three-dimensional (3D) cell models. Ovarian cancer organoids are 3D tumor models that recapitulate tumor cell clonal heterogeneity, the tumor microenvironment, and cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Thus, they are superior to cell lines for the evaluation of drug sensitivity and functional biomarkers. Therefore, the ability to utilize immunofluorescence on primary ovarian cancer organoids is extremely beneficial in understanding the biology of this cancer. The current study describes the technique of immunofluorescence to detect DNA damage repair proteins in high-grade serous patient-derived ovarian cancer organoids (PDOs). After exposing the PDOs to ionizing radiation, immunofluorescence is performed on intact organoids to evaluate nuclear proteins as foci. Images are collected using z-stack imaging on confocal microscopy and analyzed using automated foci counting software. The described methods allow for the analysis of temporal and special recruitment of DNA damage repair proteins and colocalization of these proteins with cell-cycle markers.

Visualizing DNA Damage Repair Proteins in Patient-Derived Ovarian Cancer Organoids via Immunofluorescence Assays

The present protocol describes methods for evaluating DNA damage repair proteins in patient-derived ovarian cancer organoids. Included here are comprehensive plating and staining methods, as well as detailed, objective quantification procedures.

Immunofluorescence is one of the most widely used techniques to visualize target antigens with high sensitivity and specificity, allowing for the accurate ...

Establishment of Zebrafish Patient-Derived Xenografts from Pancreatic Cancer for Chemosensitivity Testing

Cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide, and the incidence of many types of cancer continues to increase. Much progress has been made in terms of screening, prevention, and treatment; however, preclinical models that predict the chemosensitivity profile of cancer patients are still lacking. To fill this gap, an in vivo patient-derived xenograft model was developed and validated. The model was based on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos at 2 days post fertilization, which were used as recipients of xenograft fragments of tumor tissue taken from a patient's surgical specimen. 
It is also worth noting that bioptic samples were not digested or disaggregated, in order to maintain the tumor microenvironment, which is crucial in terms of analyzing tumor behavior and the response to therapy. The protocol details a method for establishing zebrafish-based patient-derived xenografts (zPDXs) from primary solid tumor surgical resection. After screening by an anatomopathologist, the specimen is dissected using a scalpel blade. Necrotic tissue, vessels, or fatty tissue are removed and then chopped into 0.3 mm x 0.3 mm x 0.3 mm pieces. 
The pieces are then fluorescently labeled and xenotransplanted into the perivitelline space of zebrafish embryos. A large number of embryos can be processed at a low cost, enabling high-throughput in vivo analyses of the chemosensitivity of zPDXs to multiple anticancer drugs. Confocal images are routinely acquired to detect and quantify the apoptotic levels induced by chemotherapy treatment compared to the control group. The xenograft procedure has a significant time advantage, since it can be completed in a single day, providing a reasonable time window to carry out a therapeutic screening for co-clinical trials.

Preclinical models aim to advance the knowledge of cancer biology and predict treatment efficacy. This paper describes the generation of zebrafish-based patient-derived xenografts (zPDXs) with tumor tissue fragments. The zPDXs were treated with chemotherapy, the therapeutic effect of which was assessed in terms of cell apoptosis of the transplanted tissue.

Cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide, and the incidence of many types of cancer continues to increase. Much progress has been made in terms ...

Optimizing HCC Organoid Formation for Target Identification and Drug Development

Development and Optimization of A Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patient-Derived Organoid Model for Potential Target Identification and Drug Discovery

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly prevalent and lethal tumor worldwide and its late discovery and lack of effective specific therapeutic agents necessitate further research into its pathogenesis and treatment. Organoids, a novel model that closely resembles native tumor tissue and can be cultured in vitro, have garnered significant interest in recent years, with numerous reports on the development of organoid models for liver cancer. In this study, we have successfully optimized the procedure and established a culture protocol that enables the formation of larger-sized HCC organoids with stable passaging and culture conditions. We have comprehensively outlined each step of the procedure, covering the entire process of HCC tissue dissociation, organoid plating, culture, passaging, cryopreservation, and resuscitation, and provided detailed precautions in this paper. These organoids exhibit genetic similarity to the original HCC tissues and can be utilized for diverse applications, including the identification of potential therapeutic targets for tumors and subsequent drug development.

Author Spotlight: Investigating Liver Cancer Pathogenesis Using Patient-Derived Organoids 

We provide a comprehensive overview and refinement of existing protocols for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) organoid formation, encompassing all stages of organoid cultivation. This system serves as a valuable model for the identification of potential therapeutic targets and the assessment of drug candidate effectiveness.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly prevalent and lethal tumor worldwide and its late discovery and lack of effective specific therapeutic agents ...