Progress in patient-derived liver cancer cell models: a step forward for precision medicine

Abstract

The development of effective precision treatments for liver cancers has been hindered by the scarcity of preclinical models that accurately reflect the heterogeneity of this disease. Recent progress in developing patient-derived liver cancer cell lines and organoids has paved the way for precision medicine research. These expandable resources of liver cancer cell models enable a full spectrum of pharmacogenomic analysis for liver cancers. Moreover, patient-derived and short-term cultured two-dimensional tumor cells or three-dimensional organoids can serve as patient avatars, allowing for the prediction of patients' response to drugs and facilitating personalized treatment for liver cancer patients. Furthermore, the current novel techniques have expanded the scope of cancer research, including innovative organoid culture, gene editing and bioengineering. In this review, we provide an overview of the progress in patient-derived liver cancer cell models, focusing on their applications in precision and personalized medicine research. We also discuss the challenges and future perspectives in this field.

Keywords: immunotherapy; liver cancer; patient-derived cell lines; patient-derived organoids; precision medicine.

Figure 1

Biobanking and pharmacogenomic studies in liver cancers The creation of large-scale and well-characterized biobanks of patient-derived cell lines and organoids is used for pharmacogenomic studies in liver cancers.

Figure 2

Personalized medicine using patient-derived short-term cultured 2D tumor cells or organoids Patient-derived short-term cultured 2D tumor cells or organoids generated from liver cancer tissues can be used to quickly evaluate drug sensitivities and identify genetic alterations. This information may help guide clinical treatments for patients with liver cancers.