UC San Francisco researchers use lab-grown mini tumors to predict breast cancer treatment success

Researchers at UC San Francisco have developed a method to predict how various types of breast cancer respond to treatment by using lab-grown mini tumors, known as organoids. The study, published in Cell Reports Medicine, utilized patient data from the I-SPY2 breast cancer trial to validate the effectiveness of these models.

To create the organoids, scientists placed patient-derived tumor cells into a specialized gel that mimics the original tumor's biology. Over several weeks, the cells formed tiny spheres that reflect the structure and biological characteristics of the actual tumor. These organoids successfully modeled how patient tumors responded to different therapies, including immunotherapy, PARP-inhibitors, platinum chemotherapy, and dual-HER2 targeted therapies.

This advancement could accelerate the development of personalized treatments, particularly for aggressive and difficult-to-treat varieties like triple-negative breast cancer. The findings suggest that organoid modeling can serve as a bridge between clinical biomarkers and precision treatment strategies, even helping to identify potential combination therapies for cancers that are resistant to standard treatments.