Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Jul 9;34(3):255-260.
doi: 10.4103/tcmj.tcmj_63_21. eCollection 2022 Jul-Sep.

The organoid: A research model for ovarian cancer

Yu-Hsun Chang  1 , Kun-Chi Wu  2 , Tomor Harnod  3 , Dah-Ching Ding  4   5
Affiliations
Review

The organoid: A research model for ovarian cancer

Yu-Hsun Chang et al. Tzu Chi Med J. .

Abstract

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a heterogeneous disease with a variety of distinct clinical and molecular characteristics. The currently available and common research models for EOC include tumor cell lines and patient-derived xenografts. However, these models have certain shortcomings: establishing a cell line is time-consuming, loss of genetic traits after long-term culture is a possibility, and investment is required in terms of animal care facilities. Therefore, better research models are required. Organoid technology was originally developed from colorectal cancer. Tumor organoid is a three-dimensional culture system and can help accurately recapture the tumor phenotype from the original tumor. Tumor organoid systems can overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings of the currently available research models. The organoid model can be used for culturing ovarian cancer subtypes, screening drugs, assessing genomes, and establishing biobanks. However, the currently available organoid models can only culture one type of cells, epithelial cells. Therefore, an organoid-on-a-chip device can be developed in the future to provide a microenvironment for cell-cell, cell-matrix, and cell-media interactions. Thus, organoid models can be used in ovarian cancer research and can generate a simulated in vivo system, enabling studies on the heterogeneity of ovarian cancer.

Keywords: Epithelial cells; Epithelial ovarian cancer; Organoid-on-a-chip; Patient-derived xenografts; Xenograft.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Dr. Dah-Ching Ding, an editorial board member at Tzu Chi Medical Journal, had no role in the peer review process of or decision to publish this article. The other authors declared no conflicts of interest in writing this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Applications of the organoid model in ovarian cancer research. FTEC: Fallopian tube epithelial cell
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Vaughan S, Coward JI, Bast RC, Jr, Berchuck A, Berek JS, Brenton JD, et al. Rethinking ovarian cancer: Recommendations for improving outcomes. Nat Rev Cancer. 2011;11:719–25. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bowtell DD, Böhm S, Ahmed AA, Aspuria PJ, Bast RC, Jr, Beral V, et al. Rethinking ovarian cancer II: Reducing mortality from high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Nat Rev Cancer. 2015;15:668–79. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kurman RJ, Shih IM. The dualistic model of ovarian carcinogenesis: Revisited, revised, and expanded. Am J Pathol. 2016;186:733–47. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Koshiyama M, Matsumura N, Konishi I. Recent concepts of ovarian carcinogenesis: Type I and type II. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:934261. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kurman RJ, Shih IM. The origin and pathogenesis of epithelial ovarian cancer: A proposed unifying theory. Am J Surg Pathol. 2010;34:433–43. - PMC - PubMed