JAPANESE

Letter from Chief Organizer

Dear Collegue in the Cancer Research Community,

Due to rapid progress of basic and translational research of cancer in recent years, a growing number of therapeutic agents, including small compounds, nucleic acid drugs, and antibody drugs, has been identified as potent candidates for next-generation anti-cancer medicines. Before they are used at bedsides, detailed pre-clinical examination of these medicines using cancer cell lines and/or animal models needs to be performed to predict their clinical efficacy.

However, current pre-clinical research tends to suffer from critical drawbacks; examination of therapeutic efficacy using cancer cell lines in many cases does not accurately predict their effectiveness at bedside, and testing in animal models tends to be financially demanding and to take a long time. In order to circumvent such problems, establishment of novel systems will be necessary for better assessment of anti-cancer agents.

Recently, novel three-dimensional (3D) cultivation techniques of cancer cells, such as spheroid culture or organoid culture, have been established. Because cancer cells can be cultivated without losing their original traits under such culture conditions, it is highly likely that they are suitable for the experimental platforms to evaluate therapeutic efficacy.

With this in mind, here we started a new workshop, in which basic and translational researcher can discuss various issues related to further development of the 3D cultures and their application for cancer research in future.

Sincerely,

　Koji Okamoto, M.D., Ph.D.

Chief Organizer,
Cancer 3D Culture Association

Chief, Division of Cancer Differentiation
National Cancer Center Research Institute
JAPAN