Automating High-Throughput Screens Using Patient-Derived Colorectal Cancer Organoids

By Angeline Lim, PhD and Zhisong Tong, PhD

This content is brought to you by Molecular Devices, a Danaher Operating Company.

Many oncology drugs, despite showing promising efficacy in vitro, often fail during the later stages of the drug development pipeline and clinical trials. This high failure rate can be largely attributed to the lack of predictive models used for screening drug candidates in the early stages of drug discovery. Consequently, there is a pressing need to develop and utilize more representative models that are suitable for efficient compound testing and the discovery of new therapeutic targets.

One promising solution to this problem is the use of 3D cell models, particularly patient-derived organoids (PDOs). Unlike traditional 2D cell cultures, cells grown in 3D environments can better replicate cell-cell interactions and the tissue microenvironment, which includes cancer stem cell niches. Research has shown that patients and their derived organoids often respond similarly to drugs, highlighting the potential therapeutic value of using PDOs to improve treatment outcomes.

However, the adoption of PDOs in mainstream drug discovery pipelines faces several challenges. Explore how overcoming these obstacles is crucial for integrating PDOs into the drug development process.