Functional Precision Medicine

Institute for Precision Medicine – A partnership of the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC

Precision Medicine has traditionally focused on genome sequencing to match patients to the most likely effective treatment. This approach, while increasingly effective, is nonetheless limited by our imperfect understanding of the genome and its mutations. To address this limitation, Dr. Olivier Elemento – Search Videos has initiated a wide-ranging, pan-cancer tumor avatar program leveraging tumor organoid ex vivo culture and state-of-the-art high-throughput drug screening.

Dr. Elemento’s work seeks to inform therapy selection using empirical drug testing, including drug combinations. Dr. Elemento’s team is also actively exploring a variety of technological improvements for organoid technology from CRISPR screening, to immune co-cultures and new matrices.

This seminar will provide a comprehensive overview of Dr. Elemento’s research program, discuss opportunities and challenges in the use of organoids for precision medicine, and describe the long-term vision for this exciting field.

Olivier Elemento, Ph.D., is Director of the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Elemento serves as Associate Director of the Institute for Computational Biomedicine and guides students not only as Professor of Physiology and Biophysics, but also Computational Genomics in Computational Biomedicine.

Dr. Elemento’s lab combines Big Data analytics with experimentation to develop new ways to help prevent, diagnose, understand, treat, and cure cancer. Dr. Elemento’sresearch involves routine use of ultrafast DNA sequencing, proteomics, high-performance computing, mathematical modeling, and artificial intelligence/machine learning.

Dr. Elemento’s areas of focus include: systems biology of regulatory networks in normal and malignant cells, with a strong focus on blood cancers (lymphomas and leukemias); cancer genomics and Precision Medicine using novel computational algorithms to identify new cancer mutations to better understand why and where cancer mutations occur, with specific interest in whether 3D chromatin architecture predicts where mutations are more likely to occur; cancer epigenetics.

Using high-through put experimental approaches and pattern detection techniques to investigate what mutated cancer genes do and the genome-wide epigenetic patterns they mediate; the evolution of tumor genomes, using high-throughput sequencing to investigate how the tumor genome and epigenome change with drug treatments; machine learning to detect cancer as early as possible to guide treatment accordingly; and the development of innovative computational approaches for analysis of high-throughput data sets (for example, metabolomics, proteomics, and high-throughput sequencing) obtained from cancer cells.

How to get cancer out of the bone – Search

Treating bone cancer typically involves a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy2. The best approach depends on factors like the type, location, and stage of the cancer, as well as the patient’s overall health.

Surgery: The goal is to remove the cancerous tumor along with some surrounding healthy tissue. In some cases, bone reconstruction may be necessary.
Radiation Therapy: High-energy rays target and destroy cancer cells, often used when surgery isn’t possible or to eliminate remaining cancer cells after surgery.
Chemotherapy: Powerful drugs help kill cancer cells, especially for certain types of bone cancer like osteosarcoma.
Targeted Therapy: Some newer treatments focus on specific cancer cell characteristics to stop their growth.

If you or someone you know is dealing with bone cancer, it’s important to consult a medical professional for personalized treatment options.

You can find more details here:

1www.mayoclinic.org 2my.clevelandclinic.org 3www.cancer.org

Are there any promising clinical trials for bone cancer?

Yes! There are several promising clinical trials for bone cancer in 2025. Here are a few notable ones:

Organoid-based Functional Precision Medicine Trial in Osteosarcoma: This study aims to predict the sensitivity of osteosarcoma to different chemotherapy agents using tissue cultures in the lab.
Cabozantinib Addition to Chemotherapy for Osteosarcoma: A phase II/III trial testing the safety and effectiveness of adding cabozantinib to standard chemotherapy for newly diagnosed osteosarcoma patients.
ZN-c3 in Combination With Gemcitabine for Osteosarcoma: A phase 1/2 study evaluating the combination of ZN-c3 and gemcitabine in patients with relapsed or refractory osteosarcoma.
Radium-223 Dichloride for Bone Metastases: Several trials are exploring the use of radium-223 dichloride in combination with other treatments for bone metastases in prostate, renal, and breast cancer.

If you’re interested in participating or learning more, you can check out the full list of trials at UCLA and UC Davis.

Let me know if you’d like help finding more details!

1ucla.clinicaltrials.researcherprofiles.org 2clinicaltrials.ucdavis.edu

What are the objectives of the Organoid-based trial?

The Organoid-based Functional Precision Medicine Trial in Osteosarcoma aims to improve treatment selection for osteosarcoma patients by using patient-derived organoids (PDOs)—miniature, lab-grown versions of tumors. The key objectives of the trial include:

Predicting Chemotherapy Sensitivity: Researchers are testing whether organoids can accurately predict how a patient’s tumor will respond to different chemotherapy agents.
Personalized Treatment Guidance: By analyzing tissue samples obtained during routine biopsies or surgeries, the study hopes to identify the most effective treatments for individual patients.
Understanding Drug Resistance: The trial investigates why some osteosarcomas are resistant to standard chemotherapy and explores alternative treatment strategies.
Genetic Testing for Better Insights: Additional genetic testing of tumors will help researchers understand osteosarcoma at a molecular level, potentially leading to new therapeutic targets.

This approach could revolutionize osteosarcoma treatment by making therapies more precise and effective. If you’re interested, you can find more details here.

Let me know if you’d like help exploring related trials!

1www.uclahealth.org

Are there other trials using organoids for personalized medicine?

Yes! There are several ongoing clinical trials using organoids for personalized medicine in 2025. These trials aim to improve drug testing, predict treatment outcomes, and even explore autologous organoid transplantation. Here are a few notable ones:

Organoid-based Drug Safety and Efficacy Testing: Researchers are using mini-organs to predict how drug candidates will perform before clinical trials begin, reducing reliance on animal testing.
Organoid-based Tumor Outcome Prediction: This study focuses on using patient-derived organoids to assess individual responses to cancer treatments and guide personalized therapy decisions.
Integration of Organoids with Organ-on-Chip Technology: Scientists are working on combining organoids with microfluidic systems to better mimic human physiology and improve drug development.

These advancements could revolutionize precision medicine by making treatments more tailored to individual patients. If you’re interested in learning more, you can check out the full details here.

Let me know if you’d like help finding specific trials!

1www.nature.com 2academic.oup.com 3www.genengnews.com

How to get cancer out of the bone – Search Videos

How do organoids compare to traditional methods in personalized medicine?

Organoids offer several advantages over traditional methods in personalized medicine, particularly in disease modeling and drug testing. Here’s how they compare:

More Accurate Disease Models: Organoids mimic the 3D structure and cellular diversity of real tissues, making them more representative of human biology than traditional 2D cell cultures.
Better Drug Testing: Since organoids are derived from patient-specific cells, they can predict individual responses to treatments more effectively than animal models, which often fail to replicate human physiology.
Personalized Treatment Selection: Organoids allow doctors to test multiple therapies on a patient’s own cells before administering treatment, reducing trial-and-error approaches.
Potential for Transplantation: Some studies are exploring autologous organoid transplantation, where lab-grown tissues could be used to replace damaged organs, a possibility that traditional methods don’t offer.

While traditional methods like animal models and monolayer cell cultures have been useful, organoids are proving to be a game-changer in precision medicine. If you’d like to explore more details, you can check out this article.

Let me know if you want to dive deeper!

1academic.oup.com 2www.creative-biolabs.com

Organoid-based personalized medicine: from tumor outcome prediction to autologous transplantation | Stem Cells | Oxford Academic

What are some specific examples of organoids in personalized medicine?

Organoids are making waves in personalized medicine, offering exciting possibilities for disease modeling and treatment customization. Here are some notable examples:

Cancer Treatment Testing: Patient-derived tumor organoids are used to test different chemotherapy drugs, helping doctors choose the most effective treatment for individual patients.
Liver Disease Research: Scientists have developed liver organoids that mimic real liver function, allowing for personalized drug testing and potential regenerative therapies.
Brain Organoids for Neurological Disorders: Miniature brain organoids are being used to study conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, providing insights into disease progression and treatment responses.
Gut and Intestinal Disease Models: Researchers have created gut organoids to study inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and test new therapies tailored to individual patients.
Autologous Organoid Transplantation: Some studies are exploring the possibility of growing organoids from a patient’s own cells for transplantation, reducing the risk of rejection.

These advancements are revolutionizing precision medicine, making treatments more tailored and effective. If you’re curious to dive deeper, you can check out more details here and here!