Patient-derived organoids and three-dimensional spheroid models have significantly transformed preclinical cancer research by offering exceptional physiological relevance in comparison to traditional two-dimensional cell cultures. This presentation will explore the evolution of these innovative models, detailing their development in laboratory settings utilizing patient tumour or healthy tissue specimens, as well as their practical application in research and their potential to enhance patient outcomes. The speaker's research has extensively utilized colorectal cancer organoids and spheroids to capture the complexity of tumour heterogeneity and treatment responses. She will present her findings on optimizing culture conditions to more accurately reflect the in vivo tumour microenvironment, thus improving the predictive accuracy of these models for assessing therapeutic efficacy and broadening their applicability in cancer research. A significant focus will be placed on understanding cellular metabolism within these three-dimensional models, as metabolic adaptations are critical drivers of therapy resistance and disease progression. Additionally, drawing upon prior research, the speaker will highlight the often-neglected role of systemic factors, such as hormones and lipids, in modulating cellular responses and contributing to therapy resistance—insights that have been directly investigated and validated within these three-dimensional models. By enhancing culture conditions and elucidating metabolic dependencies, her work aims to accelerate the development of more effective, personalized cancer therapies and refine the understanding of disease mechanisms, ultimately bridging the divide between pioneering research and impactful clinical decision-making. Dr. Maria Virginia Giolito is a postdoctoral researcher and Lead Organoid Scientist at UCLouvain, Belgium, contributing to the teams of Professors Cyril Corbet and Olivier Feron. Their research explores colorectal cancer progression and therapeutic resistance, emphasising the interplay between the tumour microenvironment, lipid metabolism, cancer stemness, and metastasis. A key interest is how metabolic stress affects cancer cell behaviour. Since 2023, Virginia has developed customised 3D organoid platforms for cancer modelling, and in 2025, she secured a competitive research grant to optimise organoid culture media for greater translational relevance. Virginia completed her PhD at the University of Strasbourg under Dr. Michelina Plateroti. Her research examined the thyroid hormone receptor Trα1's role in colon cancer stem cell biology and chemoresistance. This resulted in four first-author publications (three research articles and one review), two co-authored articles, and multiple presentations at national and international conferences. Before her PhD, Virginia earned a Master's in Biotechnology and a diploma in Pharmacy from the University of Rosario, contributing to two publications, one as first author. Her initial postdoctoral role at VUB focused on cancer immunotherapy, leading to a co-authored review. At UCLouvain, she has co-authored three publications on tumour acidosis in different biological contexts. Simultaneously, she has developed an independent research line examining the link between hormones, lipids, and cancer plasticity and metastasis. Dr. Giolito's career trajectory underscores a strong commitment to interdisciplinary, patient-centred, mechanism-driven cancer research, integrating expertise in tumour metabolism, organoid modelling, and stem cell biology.
Giolito et al. (Wed,) studied this question.