Stem Cells in the Personalized Medicine Era: From Organoid Modeling to Cancer Precision Therapy

The cancer stem cell (CSC) paradigm is pivotal for understanding tumor progression, relapses, and therapeutic failure. Endowed with self-renewal, differentiation potential, and enhanced drug resistance, CSCs drive tumor growth, metastasis, and chemo/radiotherapy escape, hindering long-term remission. Hampered by conventional model limitations, CSC research benefits from patient-derived organoids (PDOs)—3D in vitro cultures from tumor biopsies—that recapitulate malignancy heterogeneity, enabling CSC study and therapeutic optimization.This Research Topic focuses on the integrative convergence of cancer stem cell (CSC) research and organoid modeling, with the aim of highlighting how this synergy advances fundamental knowledge and clinical strategies. We welcome contributions employing organoids to elucidate CSC properties, niche interactions, treatment response, and clinical potential, as well as studies developing novel organoid models, methodologies for organoid establishment and tumor microenvironment investigation, screening platforms, and CSC-targeted therapeutic approaches. Through the integration of interdisciplinary innovations, this Topic facilitates a comprehensive bench-to-bedside comprehension.We welcome receiving the articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes: • Stem Cell Heterogeneity & Regulation: Mechanisms of stem cell (especially CSC) self-renewal, differentiation. Clarify the role of CSC in regulating tumor progression, metastasis, microenvironment and drug resistance.• Organoid Modeling: Novel/validated organoid models for CSC expansion/functional characterization; advanced co-cultures recapitulating tumor/tissue microenvironments.• AI & Sequencing: Leveraging bulk/single-cell sequencing from organoids to decode CSC signatures; developing algorithms/bioinformatics pipelines for organoid/stem cell datasets.• Precision Oncology: Clinical studies correlating organoid drug response with patient outcomes; organoids as predictive tools for therapy selection and biomarker discovery Topic editors: Zezhong Mou, Haowen Jiang, Dongxi Xiang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76750/stem-cells-in-the-personalized-medicine-era-from-organoid-modeling-to-cancer-precision-therapy