Organoids as an Enabler of Precision Immuno-Oncology

Since the dawn of the past century, landmark discoveries in cell-mediated immunity have led to a greater understanding of the innate and adaptive immune systems and revolutionised the treatment of countless diseases, including cancer. Today, precision immuno-oncology (I/O) involves not only targeting immune checkpoints that inhibit T-cell immunity but also harnessing immune cell therapies. The limited efficacy in some cancers results mainly from a complex tumour microenvironment (TME) that, in addition to adaptive immune cells, comprises innate myeloid and lymphoid cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and the tumour vasculature that contribute towards immune evasion. As the complexity of TME has called for more sophisticated human-based tumour models, organoids have allowed the dynamic study of spatiotemporal interactions between tumour cells and individual TME cell types. Here, we discuss how organoids can study the TME across cancers and how these features may improve precision I/O. We outline the approaches to preserve or recapitulate the TME in tumour organoids and discuss their potential, advantages, and limitations. We will discuss future directions of organoid research in understanding cancer immunology in-depth and identifying novel I/O targets and treatment strategies.

Automated summary

Landmark discoveries in cell-mediated immunity since the last century have revolutionized the treatment of various diseases, including cancer, through a greater understanding of the immune system. Precision immuno-oncology involves targeting immune checkpoints and harnessing immune cell therapies. The limited efficacy in some cancers is attributed to the complex tumor microenvironment, which comprises various cell types and contributes to immune evasion. Organoids provide a dynamic study of the interactions between tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment, and hold potential in improving precision immuno-oncology.