A human lymphoma organoid model for evaluating and targeting the follicular lymphoma tumor immune microenvironment

Abstract

Heterogeneity in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of follicular lymphomas (FLs) can affect clinical outcomes. Current immunotherapeutic strategies, including antibody- and cell-based therapies, variably overcome pro-tumorigenic mechanisms for sustained disease control. Modeling the intact FL TME, with its native, syngeneic tumor-infiltrating leukocytes, is a major challenge. Here, we describe an organoid culture method for cultivating patient-derived lymphoma organoids (PDLOs), which include cells from the native FL TME. We define the robustness of this method by successfully culturing cryopreserved FL specimens from diverse patients and demonstrate the stability of TME cellular composition, tumor somatic mutations, gene expression profiles, and B/T cell receptor dynamics over 3weeks. PDLOs treated with CD3:CD19 and CD3:CD20 therapeutic bispecific antibodies showed B cell killing and Tcell activation. This stable system offers a robust platform for advancing precision medicine efforts in FL through patient-specific modeling, high-throughput screening, TME signature identification, and treatment response evaluation.