Organoid technology as an emerging tool for gynecological oncology research. Dawn of precision medicine in cancer research

Abstract

Organoid technology is an emerging new model system that enables to closely capture and study the physiology and properties of the epithelial tissues “in a dish”. The model relies on the presence of stem cell pools within the tissue of interest and their intrinsic patterning capacity. Under defined niche factors and support from extracellular membrane-like scaffolds, these cells are able to self-organize into three-dimensional structures that closely resemble the architecture and properties of source tissue, creating unparalleled opportunities. Since the invention in intestine, organoid technology has been applied to many additional epithelial tissues, helping to gain valuable insight into their biology both in homeostatic and diseased conditions. More recently, the model has also been adapted to study the female reproductive tract (FRT) and associated disorders. In this thesis we describe the establishment and characterization of a broad panel of 3D organoid cultures from a variety of epithelial gynecological cancers and respective healthy tissues of origin with the purpose to better understand the heterogeneity and the individual characteristics of these tumors.