Accelerating Cancer Research: Microplate Reader-Based Viability Analysis for Rapid Drug Candidate Identification in Patient-Derived Organoids

Patient-derived organoids offer researchers biologically relevant models for cancer research, providing greater insights into candidate drug treatments for individualized treatment.

Here, we demonstrate methods for analyzing organoid viability that allow for rapid identification of effective drug candidates and can be combined with further downstream image analysis. Using colorectal cancer organoid lines derived from patient tissues, organoid number and overall morphologies were assessed by label-free transmitted light imaging acquired and analyzed on ImageXpress Micro Confocal High-Content Imaging System and Image Acquisition and Analysis Software.

The response of organoids to compounds after five days of compound treatment was assayed using the CellTiter-Glo® 3D Cell Viability Assay (Promega), with results detected using a SpectraMax® i3x Multi-Mode Microplate Reader and data analyzed using a preconfigured protocol in SoftMax Software.

Such use of label-free imaging and plate-reader-based viability analysis serve as preliminary approaches to identifying potential drugs with measurable effects on treated organoids.