This image is part of the IHB I.S. (InSight) series, featuring compelling scientific images of the latest innovative human model systems work done by IHB scientists.
´IHB I.S. (InSight): A constellation of organoids derived from colorectal cancer tissue. These organoids were generated from patient tumour tissue with the goal of establishing a biobank of models that accurately capture the heterogeneity of the patient population affected by colorectal cancer (CRC). The image demonstrates that the organoids maintain the well-known heterogeneity of colorectal cancer tissues, reflecting the diverse nature of the disease. CRC is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, remaining a significant global health challenge. This biobank diversity is essential to facilitate the development of more effective therapeutic strategies. These patient-derived organoids hold significant promise for disease modeling, helping researchers to identify predictive biomarkers for treatment response, and ultimately, potentially improving survival rates in cancer patients. This organoid image was obtained with imaging mass cytometry (IMC), a methodology that enables the simultaneous detection of up to 40 antigens using metal-tagged antibodies. The organoids were generated as part of a collaboration with the Precision Medicine Laboratory at the University Hospital of Basel, and were expanded and imaged by Mairene Coto Llerena and the Roche Cell and Organoid Biorepository at IHB.