E-slice: A novel 3D culture platform for precision medicine

摘要: The need for personalized medicine in oncology is widely accepted but translating this important concept into clinical practice has been challenging. Currently, the dominant platform for precision medicine utilizes genomics/sequencing-based assays to measure the expression and/or mutational profiles and then infer patient responses to therapies based on previous knowledge; however, this approach benefits less than 10-15% of patients with profiled tumors. Recognizing the inherent limitations of these inference-based methods, functional assays (e.g., organoids and PDX models) have been developed; however, these approaches also have significant limitations including high cost and time required to establish the models, low “take rates”, and destruction of the native tumor microenvironment (TME). To overcome these challenges, EMPIRI uses a novel 3D ex vivo tumor slice culture method (E-slices) that …