Olivier Elemento, Director of Englander Institute for Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, shared an article authored by Florencia P. Madorsky Rowdo and colleagues on LinkedIn:
“In non-AI news, I am excited to share just published work from our team at the Englander Institute. The research described in this new paper in the journal Cancer Research is a significant step forward in pooled CRISPR screening in patient-derived tumor organoids (PDTOs) – bringing us closer to functional precision medicine.
Co-led by Laura Martin, Melissa Davis, and Florencia Madorsky Rowdo, this study demonstrates the power of CRISPR-based functional genomics to uncover new therapeutic opportunities.
Key Highlights:
– One of the first pooled CRISPR screens in patient-derived organoids, overcoming technical challenges in 3D tumor models.
– Identified essential kinase dependencies that drive tumor viability, revealing potential therapeutic targets.
– Discovered synergy between EGFR and FGFR1 inhibition, opening new avenues for combination therapy.
By applying functional genomic screening in 3D patient-derived models, we can move beyond genetic alterations to directly identify druggable vulnerabilities, providing a powerful complement to traditional precision oncology approaches.
Read the full study here and preprint here.
Proud of our fantastic team and collaborators—excited to see how these findings advance CRISPR-based functional screening and cancer therapy!”
Authors: Florencia P. Madorsky Rowdo et al.
