Pancreatic cancer patient-derived organoid line derived at the Salk Institute step closer
Salk scientists test whether different commercial cell culture products affect organoid development and response to pancreatic cancer drugs —Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers and is projected to become the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States by 2030. It is especially difficult to treat because pancreatic tumors grow so quickly and are constantly evolving, making them prone to developing drug resistance.
Patient-derived organoids could change all that. In this emerging biotechnology, researchers obtain small tissue samples from patient biopsies and use them to grow three-dimensional cell cultures in the lab. These organoids act as miniature models of the patient’s pancreatic tumor, and can be used to test various drugs and evaluate which cancer treatments might work best.