Using Patient-Derived Organoids to Develop Novel Therapies for Complex and Inherited Diseases

Organoids’ ability to replicate aspects of the structure and function of larger tissues and organs makes them effective tools for studying diseases with complex etiologies as well as inherited disorders that currently lack effective treatment approaches and therapies.

In this GEN webinar, experts from Xilis and University of Washington and Plurexa will share results from recent research using patient-derived organoids to study multiple myeloma and polycystic kidney disease. In first part of the webinar, Dr. Dennis Plenker will discuss applications of the MM MOS™ assay, an ex vivo testing platform for multiple myeloma designed using MicroOrganosSphere^® (MOS^®) technology, including details of the assay verification and validation process. During the webinar, you’ll learn how tumor cells, T-cells, NK cells, and myeloid immune populations can be maintained in an MM MOS assay to test drugs that in an intact tumor microenvironment. He will also demonstrate how patient derived multiple myeloma organoids can help scientists select and sequence single-agent and combination therapies that work best individual patients.

Then Dr. Benjamin Freedman will present data from studies of polycystic kidney disease that used a commercially available method to differentiate human iPS cells into multi-segment organoids resembling kidney tissues. During this part of the webinar, you’ll learn how kidney organoids are shedding light on disease-specific mechanisms as well as helping to test novel therapies and treatment approaches.

A live Q&A session followed the presentation, offering a chance to pose questions to our expert panelists.