Figure 9.

Patient-derived organoids (PDOs) for individualized tumor response testing. Tissue from a patient’s tumor is obtained through diagnostic biopsy and is then enzymatically and mechanically dissociated into a single-cell suspension. It is then embedded in a basement membrane extract drop and grown in specialized culture medium to form organoids. Following the confirmation of the tumor histology, the formed organoids will be deposited into living biobanks and be used for drug screens. Various read-outs can be obtained to define the PDO drug screen response (including organoid size, viability, and coculture cytokine measurements). Effective drugs identified through the screening are then used to treat the patient.