About this Research Topic
Precision medicine in cancer and basic research has seen significant advancements with the development of cancer organoid co-culture models. Traditional models, such as 2D cell cultures and animal models, have been instrumental but often fail to capture the intricate complexity of human tumor biology, limiting their effectiveness in creating personalized therapies. Organoid cultures, which are three-dimensional structures derived from patient cells, have emerged as a promising alternative, offering a more physiologically relevant environment. Despite their potential, organoid technology faces challenges, including the lack of microenvironment complexity, insufficient modeling of immune interactions, and issues with scalability and reproducibility. The introduction of organoid co-culture models, which integrate cancer and other types of organoids with various cellular components of the tumor and benign microenvironment, presents a novel approach to overcoming these limitations, offering a more comprehensive and accurate representation of human benign tissue and cancer development.
This Research Topic aims to explore the advancements and applications of organoid co-culture models in precision medicine. The primary objectives include investigating how these models can enhance our understanding of cancer and benign tissue forming biology, improve the predictability and efficacy of cancer treatments or wound healing, and facilitate the development of personalized therapies. Specific questions to be addressed include how co-culture models can better replicate the microenvironment in situ, how they can be utilized for drug screening and therapeutic testing, and how they can contribute to genomic and transcriptomic analyses to identify new therapeutic targets.
To gather further insights in the field of advanced organoid co-culture models, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Development and Optimization of Co-Culture Techniques: Innovations in creating stable and reproducible co-culture systems in general, incorporating diverse cell types and extracellular matrices.
• Modelling Tumor Microenvironment: Studies focusing on how co-culture models can better replicate the interactions within the tumor microenvironment, including immune modulation and stromal interactions.
• Drug Screening and Therapeutic Testing: Utilization of co-culture models for high-throughput drug screening, evaluation of chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies.
• Genomic and Transcriptomic Analysis: Investigations on how these models can be used to understand the genetic and molecular underpinnings of cancer, leading to the identification of new therapeutic targets.
• Personalized Medicine: Case studies and clinical trials demonstrating the application of co-culture models in predicting patient-specific responses to treatments.
• Challenges and Future Directions: Critical analysis of the current limitations, potential solutions, and future perspectives in the field of cancer and benign organoid co-culture research.
Topic Editor R.E. is the CEO of TissueGnostic and holds an honorary appointment as Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia.. The other Topic Editors declare no conflicts of interest in regards to the Research Topic subject.
This Research Topic aims to explore the advancements and applications of organoid co-culture models in precision medicine. The primary objectives include investigating how these models can enhance our understanding of cancer and benign tissue forming biology, improve the predictability and efficacy of cancer treatments or wound healing, and facilitate the development of personalized therapies. Specific questions to be addressed include how co-culture models can better replicate the microenvironment in situ, how they can be utilized for drug screening and therapeutic testing, and how they can contribute to genomic and transcriptomic analyses to identify new therapeutic targets.
To gather further insights in the field of advanced organoid co-culture models, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Development and Optimization of Co-Culture Techniques: Innovations in creating stable and reproducible co-culture systems in general, incorporating diverse cell types and extracellular matrices.
• Modelling Tumor Microenvironment: Studies focusing on how co-culture models can better replicate the interactions within the tumor microenvironment, including immune modulation and stromal interactions.
• Drug Screening and Therapeutic Testing: Utilization of co-culture models for high-throughput drug screening, evaluation of chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies.
• Genomic and Transcriptomic Analysis: Investigations on how these models can be used to understand the genetic and molecular underpinnings of cancer, leading to the identification of new therapeutic targets.
• Personalized Medicine: Case studies and clinical trials demonstrating the application of co-culture models in predicting patient-specific responses to treatments.
• Challenges and Future Directions: Critical analysis of the current limitations, potential solutions, and future perspectives in the field of cancer and benign organoid co-culture research.
Topic Editor R.E. is the CEO of TissueGnostic and holds an honorary appointment as Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia.. The other Topic Editors declare no conflicts of interest in regards to the Research Topic subject.
Keywords: Tissue Engineering, Cancer Organoids, Co-Culture Models, Tumour Microenvironment, Personalized Therapy, Organoid imaging and analysis
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
