Organoid Biobanks: A New Resource for Precision Medicine and Genomic Research

Alyson Bleman^*
*Correspondence: Alyson Bleman, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand, Email:

Introduction

As the field of biomedical science moves toward individualized treatment strategies and deeper understanding of genetic variability, the creation and expansion of organoid biobanks have emerged as a powerful innovation. Organoid biobanks consist of systematically collected, cultured, and stored three-dimensional organoid models derived from human tissues, including both healthy and diseased samples. These collections represent a broad spectrum of genetic backgrounds, tissue types, and disease states, making them invaluable for applications in precision medicine and genomic research. By preserving the genetic and functional characteristics of the original tissue, organoid biobanks offer a dynamic resource for drug screening, disease modeling, and the study of patient-specific therapeutic responses [1].

Description

The process of generating organoid biobanks begins with tissue collection from patients undergoing medical procedures, such as biopsies or surgical resections. These samples are processed to isolate stem or progenitor cells, which are then embedded in supportive matrices and cultured under specific conditions that promote self-organization and tissue-specific differentiation. Organoids can be derived from a wide variety of organs, including the colon, pancreas, liver, lung, brain, and kidney, and can reflect both healthy physiology and pathological alterations such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, or inflammatory diseases. Once established, these organoids are cryopreserved and cataloged with associated clinical, histological, and genomic data, enabling standardized and reproducible studies across institutions [2]. One of the most impactful applications of organoid biobanks is in precision medicine. Because organoids maintain the genomic integrity and phenotypic traits of the donor tissue, they provide a personalized platform to evaluate therapeutic responses. For example, tumor-derived organoids can be exposed to a panel of chemotherapeutic agents or targeted therapies to identify the most effective treatment for a specific patient. This approach has already shown promise in cancers such as colorectal, pancreatic, and breast cancer, where drug responses in organoids have been found to correlate with clinical outcomes. Furthermore, organoid biobanks enable large-scale screening to uncover genetic determinants of drug sensitivity or resistance, supporting the development of biomarkers that can guide individualized treatment strategies [3].

In genomic research, organoid biobanks allow for the study of gene function and regulation in a tissue-specific context. Paired with next-generation sequencing technologies, these organoids offer insights into somatic mutations, epigenetic modifications, and gene expression profiles associated with disease progression. Unlike traditional cell lines, which often undergo genetic drift, organoids retain stable genomic features over extended culture periods, providing a reliable model for longitudinal studies. Researchers can manipulate organoids using CRISPR-Cas9 and other genome-editing tools to explore the impact of specific mutations, helping to unravel complex genetic networks and disease mechanisms [4]. This capability is particularly valuable in the study of rare diseases and inherited disorders, where patient-derived models are otherwise scarce. Despite their advantages, the widespread use of organoid biobanks requires overcoming several challenges. Standardizing protocols for organoid culture, storage, and data annotation is essential to ensure consistency and reproducibility across different research centers. Ethical considerations, including informed consent, privacy, and data sharing, must be rigorously addressed to protect patient rights while maximizing scientific utility. In addition, expanding the diversity of biobank samples is critical to avoid biases and ensure that research findings are generalizable across different populations. As technology advances, integrating organoid data with clinical records, imaging, and multi-omics datasets will further enhance the power of organoid biobanks in driving translational research [5].

Conclusion

In conclusion, organoid biobanks represent a transformative resource at the intersection of precision medicine and genomic science. By preserving the complexity of human tissues and enabling patient-specific studies at scale, they hold the potential to accelerate drug development, improve diagnostic accuracy, and tailor therapies to individual genetic profiles. As collaborative networks expand and bioethical frameworks evolve, organoid biobanks are poised to become foundational tools in the future of personalized healthcare and biomedical discovery.

Acknowledgment

None.

Conflict of Interest

None.

References

1. Asslaber, Martin and Kurt Zatloukal. "Biobanks: transnational, European and global networks." Brief Funct Genom Proteomic6 (2007): 193-201.

Google Scholar Cross Ref Indexed at

2. Cambon-Thomsen, Anne. "The social and ethical issues of post-genomic human biobanks." Nat Rev Genet 5 (2004): 866-873.

Google Scholar Cross Ref Indexed at

3. Annaratone, Laura, Giuseppe De Palma, Giuseppina Bonizzi and Anna Sapino, et al. "Basic principles of biobanking: From biological samples to precision medicine for patients." Virchows Arch 479 (2021): 233-246.

Google Scholar Cross Ref Indexed at

4. Shabihkhani, Maryam, Gregory M. Lucey, Bowen Wei and Sergey Mareninov, et al. "The procurement, storage, and quality assurance of frozen blood and tissue biospecimens in pathology, biorepository and biobank settings." Clin Biochem 47 (2014): 258-266.

Google Scholar Cross Ref Indexed at

5. Krishnamurthy, Savitri. "Biospecimen repositories and cytopathology." Cancer Cytopathol 123 (2015): 152-161.

Google Scholar Cross Ref Indexed at