Digital image analysis using video microscopy of human-derived prostate cancer vs normal prostate organoids to assess migratory behavior on extracellular matrix proteins

Front Oncol. 2023 Jan 13:12:1083150. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1083150. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

The advent of perpetuating living organoids derived from patient tissue is a promising avenue for cancer research but is limited by difficulties with precise characterization. In this brief communication, we demonstrate via time-lapse imaging distinct phenotypes of prostate organoids derived from patient material- without confirmation of cellular identity. We show that organoids derived from histologically normal tissue more readily spread on a physiologic extracellular matrix (ECM) than on pathologic ECM (p<0.0001), while tumor-derived organoids spread equally on either substrate (p=0.2406). This study is an important proof-of-concept to defer precise characterization of organoids and still glean information into disease pathology.

Keywords: cancer phenotypes; extracellular matrix; organoids; prostate cancer; video microscopy.