TY - JOUR
T1 - MicroOrganoSphereTM technology to advance drug screening in neuroblastoma precision medicine
AU - Schoonbeek, Marlinde C.
AU - Amo-Addae, Vicky
AU - Koomen, Mandy
AU - Swaak, Sarah
AU - Looze, Eleonora J.
AU - Langenberg, Karin
AU - Lampert, J. Christoph
AU - Geoerger, Birgit
AU - Eggert, Angelika
AU - Schleiermacher, Gudrun
AU - Schueler, Julia
AU - Gürgen, Dennis
AU - Vassal, Gilles
AU - van Hooff, Sander
AU - van den Boogaard, Marlinde L.
AU - Molenaar, Jan J.
AU - Driehuis, Else
AU - Eising, Selma
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 The Authors
PY - 2026/12
Y1 - 2026/12
N2 - Background: Neuroblastoma is among the most fatal pediatric solid tumors and high-risk patients face poor survival despite intensive treatment. Genomic profiling alone has not translated into effective treatment stratification for all neuroblastoma patients. Drug screening offers a complementary strategy, but conventional preclinical models are constrained by limited establishment success from low-input material and by timelines often incompatible with diagnostic decision-making. Here, we evaluated MicroOrganoSphere™ (MOS™) technology, in which tumor cells are encapsulated in Matrigel droplets generated by microfluidic droplet formation, by a head-to-head comparison with the conventional suspension cultures to improve growth and drug testing in neuroblastoma. Methods: MOS™ were established from patient-derived tumoroids, freshly dissociated patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors, PDX-derived tumoroids, and a freshly dissociated patient tumor to compare growth and drug responses with suspension. Results: Tumor cell growth in MOS™ was comparable or superior to suspension cultures. MOS™ drug screens were performed at a 2.5-fold lower seeding density compared to suspension, whilst maintaining reliable results with consistent drug sensitivity profiles and screen quality to suspension. Promisingly, drug testing in MOS™ was feasible within 9 days of receiving fresh PDX tumor tissue. Conclusion: These results demonstrate in a proof-of-concept setting how MOS™ technology could support the establishment and drug screening of neuroblastoma cultures from low-input samples within clinically relevant timelines. MOS™ technology provides a promising functional platform to accelerate preclinical drug testing in neuroblastoma precision medicine.
AB - Background: Neuroblastoma is among the most fatal pediatric solid tumors and high-risk patients face poor survival despite intensive treatment. Genomic profiling alone has not translated into effective treatment stratification for all neuroblastoma patients. Drug screening offers a complementary strategy, but conventional preclinical models are constrained by limited establishment success from low-input material and by timelines often incompatible with diagnostic decision-making. Here, we evaluated MicroOrganoSphere™ (MOS™) technology, in which tumor cells are encapsulated in Matrigel droplets generated by microfluidic droplet formation, by a head-to-head comparison with the conventional suspension cultures to improve growth and drug testing in neuroblastoma. Methods: MOS™ were established from patient-derived tumoroids, freshly dissociated patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors, PDX-derived tumoroids, and a freshly dissociated patient tumor to compare growth and drug responses with suspension. Results: Tumor cell growth in MOS™ was comparable or superior to suspension cultures. MOS™ drug screens were performed at a 2.5-fold lower seeding density compared to suspension, whilst maintaining reliable results with consistent drug sensitivity profiles and screen quality to suspension. Promisingly, drug testing in MOS™ was feasible within 9 days of receiving fresh PDX tumor tissue. Conclusion: These results demonstrate in a proof-of-concept setting how MOS™ technology could support the establishment and drug screening of neuroblastoma cultures from low-input samples within clinically relevant timelines. MOS™ technology provides a promising functional platform to accelerate preclinical drug testing in neuroblastoma precision medicine.
KW - 3D cancer models
KW - Neuroblastoma
KW - Pediatric oncology
KW - Precision medicine
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105042993560
U2 - 10.1016/j.ejcped.2026.100534
DO - 10.1016/j.ejcped.2026.100534
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105042993560
SN - 2772-610X
VL - 8
JO - EJC Paediatric Oncology
JF - EJC Paediatric Oncology
M1 - 100534
ER -