We concluded another successful edition of the CCE Lecture Series with an inspiring talk by Dr. Fanny Jaulin, Team Leader at Research Unit 1279 – Dynamics of Tumor Cells, a joint Gustave Roussy / Inserm / Université Paris-Saclay unit.
The session, hosted by Gustave Roussy on November 13, was moderated by Professor Michel Ducreux, Head of the Digestive Cancer Committee at Gustave Roussy, attracted an audience of 100 scientists from across Europe.
In her lecture, Dr. Jaulin discussed how researchers are using patient-derived organoids (PDOs) — miniature tumors grown from a patient’s own cancer cells — to test different treatments in the laboratory. This innovative approach allows clinicians to predict which drugs are most likely to be effective for each patient, paving the way for more personalized treatment strategies in colorectal and pancreatic cancer.
How Patient-Derived Organoids Help Decode Cancer Spread
While metastases are often cited as the cause of up to 90% of cancer deaths, the exact figure varies by tumor type and other factors. Still, because most deaths from solid tumors result from metastasis, understanding how cancer spreads — and finding ways to block this process — remains essential to reducing mortality.
During her talk, Dr. Jaulin explained how her team studies the mechanisms by which colorectal cancer cells invade and spread. Using patient-derived organoids and advanced microscopy, the group investigates how cancer cells migrate collectively — with some leading and others following — and whether they can switch between different invasion strategies.
Working closely with clinicians, the team also explores how colorectal cancer spreads to the peritoneal cavity, with the goal of identifying new therapeutic targets and improving treatment outcomes for patients.
About Unit 1279
Unit 1279 unites a consortium of eight public and private partners with complementary expertise in organoid biology, micro-engineering, artificial intelligence, and large-scale clinical validation. The consortium’s mission is to establish patient-derived organoid (PDO)–based assays—known as organograms—as clinically validated tools for guiding personalized treatment in colorectal and pancreatic cancer.
By developing 3D tumor models that accurately replicate each patient’s tumor, the program enables testing multiple therapies to identify the most effective treatment for each individual. Its key objectives include using PDOs to predict patient responses to chemotherapy and immunotherapy, developing standardized protocols for integrating PDO testing into clinical workflows, and harnessing advanced imaging and AI-driven data analysis to enhance the predictive accuracy of PDO models.
Bridging Organoid Research and Clinical Innovation
Dr. Fanny Jaulin is Director of Research at Inserm and leads the Collective Invasion team at Gustave Roussy, within Université Paris-Saclay. Her research explores how groups of cancer cells migrate and invade tissues — a central process in tumor progression and metastasis.
Combining expertise in cell biology, organoid modeling, and translational oncology, Dr. Jaulin focuses primarily on digestive cancers. She serves as scientific coordinator of the RHU ORGANOMIC program, which harnesses patient-derived organoids to inform clinical decisions and advance personalized cancer therapies. In parallel, she is CEO and co-founder of Orakl Oncology, a biotechnology company dedicated to translating organoid-based innovations into clinical practice.
