Open Access

REVIEW

Organoid Technology in Precision Medicine for Head and Neck Cancer

Boxuan Han^1,2,#, Shaokun Liu^3,#, Ridhima Das³, Shiqian Liu⁴, Yang Zhang^1,2,*

1 Beijing Tongren Hospital, Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100730, China
2 Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100005, China
3 Translational Radiation Oncology Research Laboratory, Department of Radiooncology and Radiotherapy, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin), Berlin, 10117, Germany
4 Experimental Surgery, Department of Surgery, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Campus Charité Mitte Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Affiliated with Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin), Berlin, 13353, Germany

* Corresponding Author: Yang Zhang. Email:
# These authors contributed equally to this work

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advancing Cellular Therapeutics in Oncology: Innovations, Challenges, and Clinical Translation)

Oncology Research 2025, 33(12), 3633-3656. https://doi.org/10.32604/or.2025.071296

Received 04 August 2025; Accepted 04 October 2025; Issue published 27 November 2025

Abstract

Organoid technology, characterized by high fidelity in mimicking the in vivo microenvironment, preservation of tumor heterogeneity, and capacity for high-throughput operations, has emerged as a critical tool in head and neck cancer research. To address clinical challenges in head and neck cancer management—including marked tumor heterogeneity, therapeutic resistance, and significant prognostic variability—this review focuses on four key translational applications of organoid technology: In mechanistic studies, organoid models provide a reliable platform for investigating tumorigenesis, progression, and drug resistance mechanisms. In personalized therapy, organoid-based drug sensitivity testing enables data-driven clinical decision-making. For biomarker discovery, organoids facilitate the identification of novel diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. With ongoing improvements and standardization of organoid culture systems, this technology holds substantial promise for advancing precision medicine in head and neck cancer, bridging the gap between basic research and clinical practice.

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Keywords

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