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The organoid as reliable cancer modeling in personalized medicine, does applicable in precision medicine of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma?

The Pharmacogenomics Journal volume 23, pages 37–44 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) are introduced as the sixth most common cancer in the world. Detection of predictive biomarkers improve early diagnosis and prognosis. Recent cancer researches provide a new avenue for organoids, known as “mini-organs” in a dish, such as patient-derived organoids (PDOs), for cancer modeling. HNSCC burden, heterogeneity, mutations, and organoid give opportunities for the evaluation of drug sensitivity/resistance response according to the unique genetic profile signature. The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR) nucleases, as an efficient genome engineering technology, can be used for genetic manipulation in three-dimensional (3D) organoids for cancer modeling by targeting oncogenes/tumor suppressor genes. Moreover, single-cell analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) improved understanding of molecular angiogenesis, distance metastasis, and drug screening without the need for tissue biopsy. Organoids allow us to investigate the biopathogenesis of cancer, tumor cell behavior, and drug screening in a living biobank according to the specific genetic profile of patients.

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Fig. 1: Benefits and applications of patient-derived organoids (PDOs).
Fig. 2: Genetic manipulation by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR/Cas9) based on double strand breaks (DSB).
Fig. 3: Application of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in cancer diagnosis and therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dental Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Alieh Farshbaf

  2. Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Malihe Lotfi

  3. Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Reza Zare & Nooshin Mohtasham

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Study concepts: NM; Study design: NM, AF; Investigation and searches: AF, ML, RZ; Manuscript preparation: AF, ML; Manuscript editing: RZ; Supervision: NM. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Nooshin Mohtasham.

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Farshbaf, A., Lotfi, M., Zare, R. et al. The organoid as reliable cancer modeling in personalized medicine, does applicable in precision medicine of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma?. Pharmacogenomics J 23, 37–44 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41397-022-00296-2

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