The Patient-Derived Cancer Organoids: Promises and Challenges as Platforms for Cancer Discovery

Abstract

The cancer burden is rapidly increasing in most countries, and thus, new anticancer drugs for effective cancer therapy must be developed. Cancer model systems that recapitulate the biological processes of human cancers are one of the cores of the drug development process. PDCO has emerged as a unique model that preserves the genetic, physiological, and histologic characteristics of original cancer, including inter- and intratumoral heterogeneities. Due to these advantages, the PCDO model is increasingly investigated for anticancer drug screening and efficacy testing, preclinical patient stratification, and precision medicine for selecting the most effective anticancer therapy for patients. Here, we review the prospects and limitations of PDCO compared to the conventional cancer models. With advances in culture success rates, co-culture systems with the tumor microenvironment, organoid-on-a-chip technology, and automation technology, PDCO will become the most promising model to develop anticancer drugs and precision medicine.