Research Highlights
3D Organoids and Talniflumate: A Powerful Duo Against Pancreatic Cancer
VitroGel® ORGANOID-3 Enables Advanced 3D Organoid Models to Uncover New Therapeutic Strategies for Pancreatic Cancer
Category:
Organoid
Institution:
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
Subcategory/cell type:
Different types of organoids / Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) organoids (PDX) and murine organoids
Team:
Antonio Agostini Ilaria Guerriero, Geny Piro, Giuseppe Quero, Luca Roberto, Annachiara Esposito, Alessia Caggiano, Lorenzo Priori, Giulia Scaglione, Francesco De Sanctis, Antonella Sistigu, Martina Musella, Alberto Larghi, Gianenrico Rizzatti, Donatella Lucchetti, Sergio Alieri, Alessandro Sgambato, Emilio Bria, Laura Bizzozero, Sabrina Arena, Stefano Ugel, Vincenzo Corbo, Giampaolo Tortora and Carmine Carbone
Hydrogel:
VitroGel® ORGANOID 3 (Cat. No: VHM04-3)
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest cancers, with limited treatment options and poor patient survival rates. A major challenge in treating PDAC is the tumor’s ability to create a protective barrier of mucins, which shields cancer cells from immune attacks and reduces the effectiveness of chemotherapy. This mucin barrier not only promotes tumor growth but also suppresses the immune system, making it difficult for T cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells. To tackle this problem, researchers needed a reliable model to study the interaction between cancer cells and the immune system in a realistic 3D environment. Traditional 2D models fall short in mimicking the complex tumor microenvironment, highlighting the need for advanced 3D culture systems like VitroGel® ORGANOID.
In this groundbreaking study, researchers used VitroGel® ORGANOID-3 to create 3D organoid models of pancreatic cancer, allowing them to study the interaction between cancer cells and T cells in a more physiologically relevant setting. The hydrogel provided an ideal scaffold for growing both mouse and human pancreatic cancer organoids, enabling the team to test the effects of talniflumate, a drug that targets the mucin-producing enzyme GCNT3. By disrupting the mucin barrier, talniflumate enhanced T cell activation and improved the efficacy of standard chemotherapy. VitroGel® ORGANOID-3 played a crucial role in these experiments by supporting the growth of organoids and facilitating the observation of immune cell interactions, which would have been impossible in traditional 2D cultures.
This study demonstrates the potential of combining targeted therapies like talniflumate with advanced 3D culture systems to overcome the challenges of treating pancreatic cancer. VitroGel® ORGANOID-3 was instrumental in providing a realistic platform for studying tumor-immune interactions and validating the therapeutic potential of GCNT3 inhibition. By enabling researchers to model complex biological processes in a controlled environment, VitroGel® ORGANOID-3 opens new avenues for drug discovery and personalized medicine. Its ability to support 3D organoid growth and immune cell interactions makes it a valuable tool for future cancer research, offering hope for more effective treatments for PDAC and other challenging cancers.
