Organoid biobank maps cancer dependencies across five tumor types

A large, open organoid biobank derived from colorectal, oesophageal, ovarian, pancreatic and gastric cancers (256 organoids from 878 donors) was established with linked clinical data and extensive genomic profiling (WGS and RNA-seq). CRISPR–Cas9 screens on 162 organoids mapped gene dependencies, revealing organoids faithfully recapitulate tumor genomics and heterogeneity, identifying organoid-specific essential genes and context-driven vulnerabilities (notably along the EGFR–RAS–MAPK axis) and observing treatment-driven evolutionary changes in paired pre/post samples. The resource, with data publicly accessible via Cell Model Passports and DepMap, advances precision oncology by enabling systematic, functionally informed cancer maps.