As many as 128 “miniature” metastatic colorectal cancers, true to the originals, derived from tumor tissue samples taken from cancer patients during surgical removal of the tumor or during a biopsy and then cultured and kept alive in the laboratory. A collection of organoids capable of mirroring the organization and differentiation patterns that the tissue of origin has in vivo goes to form “Xenturion,” the world’s largest Biobank of colorectal cancer open science, that is, made freely available to the scientific community for oncology research.

“Xneturion” is the work of IRCCS Candiolo researchers led by Professor Livio Trusolino and Professor Andrea Bertotti, heads of the Institute’s Translational Oncology Laboratory.

In a study just published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers showed that Xenturion’s 128 tumoroids maintain broad molecular fidelity with the patients’ respective tumors. “To demonstrate this, we conducted multidimensional omics analyses, a series of tests that allow us to obtain a broad spectrum of genetic information about the tumor,” explained Dr. Elena Grassi, who coordinated the molecular analyses on the collection. The researchers tested the potential of their models, which can be manipulated both pharmacologically and with genetic engineering techniques to turn specific genes on and off. They then searched for and identified the adaptive signals that the tumor processes to defend itself against drug aggression and reduce its antiproliferative effect. This means, that “Xenturion” is able to open up new pathways for preclinical research at the molecular level.

The researchers’ work does not end here, but will continue with the collection and validation of other tumoroids. In the coming months, IRCCS Candiolo will formalize the transition of “Xenturion” from an experimental platform to a Biobank, making available to the scientific community an important tool that can accelerate the development of new treatments for patients with advanced colorectal cancer and other cancers.