Organoids are 3D miniature models of tumours grown in the lab, that that closely mirror the cancer in a patient’s body. They are created by taking cancer cells from a patient, growing them in a lab to mimic the structure, function, and behaviour of the original tumour. Organoids are a valuable tool for cancer researchers as they capture the complex environment of a tumour, including how cancer cells interact with each other, other surrounding cells in the microenvironment and their response to different treatments. This makes them more realistic than traditional cell cultures, which are grown flat and lack many features of real tumours.
Tissue microarrays are lab tools that enable the simultaneous analysis of multiple samples arranged on a single slide, allowing efficient comparison of cellular or molecular features across many specimens. In this project, multiple cancer organoids will be cultured and treated with a panel of anti-cancer compounds. Each organoid dome will be fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin, cores will be extracted from the organoid block, and each core will represent one sample of the microarray.
The development of a cancer organoid microarray platform (COMP) will allow high-throughput analyses of multiple organoids comparing features such as protein expression, genetic mutations, or response/resistance to treatments. This approach will save time and resources while providing valuable insights into how different cancer sub-types might respond to various therapies. By developing the COMP, researchers will be better able to assess the diversity within tumours and identify potential biomarkers for treatment.