Organoid technology in cervical cancer research

Abstract

Cervical cancer poses a serious threat to women's lives and health, and it may cause damage to the reproductive system, infertility, and even death. This study reviews the research progress of organoids in the treatment of cervical cancer. Studies have found that the culturing of tumor cell lines and the modeling techniques of tumor xenotransplantation for cervical cancer have certain limitations. Cervical cancer organoids are preclinical research models formed by culturing tumor cells derived from patients, which more accurately and effectively retain tumor heterogeneity, and also have the potential to take into account the interaction between tumor cells and the extracellular matrix. This article reviews the research on cervical cancer organoid models in the pathogenesis, drug screening, and precision medicine aspects in recent years, and then analyzes the development prospects and challenges of organoid technology in gynecological tumor research, in order to explore new possibilities for individualized treatment of cervical cancer.

Keywords: Organoid; cervical cancer; drug screening experiments; precision medicine; preclinical model.

Figure 1

Application of holistic and reductionist approaches in cervical cancer research. This figure illustrates the different applications of holistic and reductionist approaches in cervical cancer research. The holistic approach focuses on the multicellular interactions within tumor tissue, including tumor fibroblasts, tumor cells, macrophages, T cells, B cells, and NK cells, to better mimic the in vivo microenvironment. The reductionist approach, on the other hand, utilizes tumor organoid cultures and specific immune cells (such as observing T cells and tumor-reactive T cells) to study immune responses in cervical cancer.

Figure 2

Workflow and clinical applications of patient-derived tumor organoids (PDOs). This figure outlines the construction, validation, and clinical utilization of PDOs. Tumor tissues from biopsies or surgeries are processed into 3D organoids using Matrigel and growth factor-enriched culture systems. Validated through histology (H&E), protein markers (immunofluorescence), and genetic profiling, PDOs retain the original tumor’s characteristics. They are further applied to biobanking, tumor microenvironment studies, mechanistic exploration, and personalized drug testing. Comparisons highlight PDO advantages (genetic fidelity, rapid generation) over traditional 2D cultures (heterogeneity loss) and animal models (time-consuming limitations), emphasizing their role in accelerating cancer research and precision therapy.