- Tumor organoid biobank: Researchers developed 256 patient-derived organoids representing five cancer types for biomedical research.
- Gene dependency mapping: CRISPR screening identified genes that specific cancers depend on for growth and survival.
- Biobank collaboration: Fresh tumor samples from five UK clinical sites were transformed into long-term organoid research resources.
Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Birmingham and four other UK clinical sites have developed a large biobank of patient-derived tumor organoids.
Published in Nature, the study describes an open resource designed to help researchers investigate how different cancers grow, survive and respond to treatment. The collection is described as the largest of its kind to date and focuses on colorectal, oesophageal, ovarian, pancreatic and stomach cancers.
The University of Birmingham’s Human Biomaterials Resource Centre (HBRC) was one of five clinical sites responsible for collecting fresh tumor samples donated by consenting patients. These specimens were subsequently sent to the Wellcome Sanger Institute, where researchers developed organoids and mapped their genetic characteristics.
Biobanks Provide the Foundation for the Resource
The HBRC is itself a biobank that collects samples and associated medical data from healthy volunteers and NHS patients for scientific research.
Such generic biobanks are designed to support research across multiple diseases and scientific disciplines rather than focusing on a single disease or biospecimen type. By making use of donated biological material that might otherwise be discarded, these resources can provide researchers with valuable specimens for future studies.
The collaboration between clinical biobanks, patients and research laboratories enabled fresh tumor tissue to be transformed into living three-dimensional models that can be maintained and studied over time.
Andrew Beggs, Professor of Cancer Genetics and Surgery at the University of Birmingham and lead of the study site, said, “This work was only possible because of a close collaboration between scientists, clinicians and patients. It gives us a clearer picture of how cancers behave in patients and why responses to treatment can vary, helping to guide more effective patient care.”
Organoids Offer More Realistic Cancer Models
The researchers developed miniaturized, three-dimensional tissue cultures designed to replicate important structures and functions of patient tumors.
The five cancer types represented in the resource were selected because they continue to require improved treatment options. Unlike conventional two-dimensional cancer cell lines, organoids can more closely reproduce characteristics of tumors found in patients, potentially making them more useful for investigating disease biology and therapeutic responses.
The use of organoids could also reduce reliance on animal models in some areas of cancer research, providing an additional experimental platform for evaluating potential treatments.
Dr Carmen Herranz-Ors, first author of the study at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said, “By building this organoid biobank, which is a long-term resource of cancer models, we’ve created a powerful new way to study cancer in models that much more closely resemble patient tumours. Applying CRISPR screening across these models enabled us to pinpoint the specific genes that different cancers rely on to grow and survive.”
Mapping Genetic Dependencies Across Cancer Types
Using tumor samples donated through the HBRC and other clinical sites in Cambridge, Glasgow, London and Southampton, researchers developed 256 organoids representing the five cancer types.
The team sequenced DNA from the organoids, patient blood samples and the original tumors to establish a detailed reference resource. This genomic information also enables researchers to monitor changes occurring in the organoids as they grow over time.
Researchers subsequently identified thousands of genetic dependencies, including genes that tumors require for survival and vulnerabilities associated with particular cancer types.
Supporting Future Cancer and Treatment Research
The findings provide insights into the molecular interactions on which different tumors depend and could help researchers investigate how cancers develop resistance to existing treatments.
The identified genetic vulnerabilities may also provide starting points for exploring new therapeutic strategies and understanding why treatments produce different responses among patients.
For biobanking, the resource demonstrates how the value of patient biospecimens can extend beyond initial collection and storage. Fresh tumor tissue collected through clinical biobanking infrastructure can be transformed into renewable, patient-derived research models, creating a long-term resource for cancer genomics, functional screening and drug discovery.
The study highlights the growing role of biobanks in connecting patient donations with advanced model systems and genomic technologies, potentially enabling researchers to extract substantially more scientific value from each biospecimen.
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