Journal of Organoid and Bioscience

Perspective on Tumor Organoids in Drug Screening and Cancer Precision Medicine

Lingzhi Wang — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The landscape of cancer research is swiftly evolving, presenting fresh optimism through innovative tactics that customize treatment for each patient. In 2016, Clevers unveiled a groundbreaking study in Cell, introducing organoids that emulate essential structural and functional traits of organs like the kidney, lung, gut, brain, and retina. This technology enables the replication of human organ development and various pathologies within a controlled laboratory environment. Mounting evidence underscores the potential of patient-derived organoids (PDOs) to reshape cancer treatment and revolutionize drug discovery in oncology. This commentary explores these pioneering research avenues and their profound implications for clinical oncology and pharmaceutical development.

Industry News（Jan 2024 to May 2024）

Flora Wang — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This review provides an overview of the key developments and milestones in organoid and organ-on-a-chip technologies from January to May 2024, as reported in the industry news. The period witnessed significant advancements including regulatory approvals, clinical trial initiations, and strategic partnerships that underscore the growing influence of these technologies in medical research and treatment strategies. Notable highlights include the approval of MedGenCell's PD-1 knockout T cell therapy for lung cancer under the IND application, MIMETAS's participation in the GRIPonMASH program for metabolic disease modeling, and the successful hosting of several global conferences that gathered leading experts in the field. Additionally, funding rounds such as DarkJade Sciences' Pre-A financing and strategic collaborations, like that between Regenerative Bio and Signet Therapeutics, reflect robust industry engagement and investment. These developments collectively push forward the frontiers of healthcare, emphasizing organoid and organ-on-a-chip technologies' pivotal roles in enhancing disease modeling, drug testing, and therapeutic interventions.

Innovating the Future: ISoOR 2024 Annual Meeting Achieves Remarkable Success

Martin Maldonado — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The 2024 annual meeting of the International Society of Organoid Research (ISoOR) was held on March 7-8 in Shanghai, China. This conference attracted over a thousand participants and focused on the latest advancements in organoid technology with key applications in disease modeling, drug development, and precision medicine. The event highlighted the initiation of ISoOR Standards for Organoid Biobanks and featured insights from the Journal of Organoid and Bioscience, marking significant progress in organoid research and collaboration.

Will Black Box Warning Affect Development of CAR-T Therapy

Yijun Chen — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Cell therapy has emerged as an approved treatment and has saved many patients. As a living therapy, it serves as a role model for advancements in biology, especially in combating cancer to some extent. Despite the progress in cell therapy, one of the biggest issues on the regulatory side is that the FDA now requires a black box warning for the six cell therapies currently on the market. This announcement was made on January 22nd 2024, mandating producers to remind users about the risk of developing lymphoma. To date, all companies have put the black box warning in their product sheet.
After the announcement, there was a rapid change in the stock market for related companies. However, based on our analysis, there is no need to overreact to such regulatory changes.

Assessing the Efficacy and Feasibility of Conditioned Medium as a Culture Reagent for Tumor Organoid Culture: A Comprehensive Evaluation

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Tumor organoids are three-dimensional models of tumor cells grown in vitro which derived from primary tumors of patients. Tumor organoids highly mimic the characteristics of the primary tumors, retain tumor heterogeneity, and can be used for functional testing in vitro, including high-throughput drug screening and personalized therapeutic strategies. However, the establishment of tumor organoids facing such dilemma as low success rate and growth rate. The use of appropriate and effective culture reagent is pivotal to the success of tumor organoids culture. Nowadays, the most commonly and long-lasting used media in cell culture is conditioned medium, while its application in organoids culture has been controversial due to undefined components. In response, our study conducts a comprehensive analysis, offering compelling evidence supporting the efficacy of conditioned medium in promoting organoids growth and expansion. This research aims to address uncertainties surrounding its use and contribute valuable insights to enhance tumor organoids culture practices.

Analysis of the Killing Activity of Immune Cells with Tumor Organoids

Yi Zhou — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is considered a key factor in the occurrence and development of tumors. It not only exists and affects the structure, function, and metabolism of the tissue where the tumor is located, but also relates to the intrinsic environment of the tumor cells themselves. Positive responses to immunotherapy often depend on the interaction between tumor cells and the immunoregulation within the TME. Under these interactions, the TME plays a significant role in either suppressing or enhancing immune responses. However, there are currently no mature research methods for characterizing or modeling the TME.

Unlocking the Potential of Organoid Models in Ferroptosis: A Breakthrough in Cancer Research

Dingci Lu, Min Shu, Zhaowu Ma — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Ferroptosis, a regulated form of cell death driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, has emerged as a critical mechanism in cancer biology. Understanding the molecular mechanisms and experimental models of ferroptosis is essential for developing novel therapeutic strategies. Organoid models, which closely mimic the architecture and functionality of human tissues, offer a promising platform for studying ferroptosis in various cancer types. This review explores the construction and application of organoid models, highlighting their advantages in cancer research. We discuss the link between ferroptosis and organoids in various cancers, including colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, gastric cancer, ovarian cancer, and other cancers. Furthermore, we examine the therapeutic implications of ferroptosis in organoid models, emphasizing the potential for these models to enhance our understanding of cancer biology and improve treatment outcomes.

Potential Role of Herbal Remedies on Mesenchymal Stem Cells: An Overview of New Therapeutic Strategies for Osteoporosis

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Worldwide, osteoporosis（OP）affects more than 200 million people, and as people get older, the disease is more common. It is anticipated that by 2025, aging country populations will increase the prevalence by as much as 50%. Osteoporosis is a degenerative skeletal condition that causes decreased bone mass and degeneration of the bone microstructure, which raises the risk of fracture and increases bone fragility. The irreversible nature of bone loss in the body makes osteoporosis a difficult illness for doctors to treat. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), a multipotential cell with the capacity to self-renew and specialize into a number of cell types, are currently the source of preference for cell-based therapies due to their crucial role in tissue repair and synthetic biology. Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have long been employed in both preclinical and clinical research to treat osteoporosis. Even while new transplantation therapies using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising, they are also expensive and urgent issues need to be resolved about their safety, transplantation effectiveness, and standardization of manufacturing techniques. Indeed, naturally occurring phytochemical substances (herbs) offer significant anti-inflammatory, pro-differentiation, and tissue regeneration potential, and the differentiation, migration, and immunomodulatory capabilities of MSCs treated with herbal extracts show promise in diseases like osteoporosis, neurological diseases, and other tissue degenerative disorders. In the creation of novel therapeutic approaches by MSCs for the treatment of osteoporosis illnesses, they have attracted a lot of interest. In this article, we summarize the most recent findings on herbal extracts' effects on MSCs differentiation, migration, immunosuppression, and epigenetic regulation as well as potential mechanisms of action. Additionally, based on the yin-yang theory of Chinese traditional medicine, we did a thorough analysis of the molecular phenotypic variations between yin and yang in osteoporosis with the goal of improving guidance on the pathophysiology and clinical application of osteoporosis.