A tumour-derived organoid biobank maps cancer gene dependencies.

A biobank of 256 patient-derived tumour organoids reveals diverse gene dependencies across multiple cancer types, advancing precision oncology.

• Why it matters: Current cancer models like cell lines do not fully represent tumour diversity or patient context, limiting insights for targeted therapies and personalized treatment strategies.
• What they did: Researchers established and extensively characterized 256 tumour organoids from colorectal, oesophageal, ovarian, pancreatic, and gastric cancers, performing whole-genome, transcriptome sequencing, and genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screens across 162 models.
• The result: The study identified genomic and clinical markers of gene dependency, uncovered tumour-specific vulnerabilities, and provided a publicly accessible resource that enhances understanding of cancer biology and potential therapeutic targets.