Welcome to the
largest, non-profit
collection of patient-
derived HGSC
organoids

Currently, the OvaCure Collection
encompasses 16 HGSC organoid
models and associated data.
The collection is continuously
expanding, with new models
added twice a year.

Catalogue

16 models
12 average passages
15 Brc+

The OvaCure Collection: A New Organoid Platform to Boost Ovarian Cancer Research

OvaCure, a Copenhagen-based scientific NGO, is proud to announce the launch of The OvaCure Collection, a groundbreaking initiative set to become the world’s largest non-profit collection of organoid cultures derived from high-grade serous ovarian cancer tumors.

The founding partners behind this initiative consist of the prominent institutions: Turku University Hospital (FI), University of Copenhagen BRIC (DK), Helsinki University (FI), and Auria Biobank (FI), with more partner institutions joining soon.

Why organoids

Traditional biobanks and clinical institutions often lack sufficient relevant primary tumor tissue that would allow academic research groups to get enough research material. Additionally, due to different primary goals and limited funding, academic and clinical partnerships are often underdeveloped. As a result, there are critical bottlenecks that hinder patient-relevant cancer research and stall the development of new treatment options.

Cancer organoids are a breakthrough technology where patient-derived tumor tissue is expanded into, stable, expandable long-term cell cultures, preserving genomic and phenotypic features of the original tumor tissue, even after multiple passages. Thus, researchers are provided patient-derived models that are more accessible, can be obtained at a lower cost, and allowing for generation of reproducible data.

There are several large cancer organoid biobanks worldwide, making hundreds of organoid models from different cancer types available. However, ovarian cancer organoids, especially from high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC), the most common ovarian cancer subtype, are severely underrepresented in these collections. Therefore, we aim to make HGSC organoids widely available, and supplement the models with a comprehensive information package, including genomic, transcriptomic and clinical data. This patient-matched data collection will be continuously growing, with each user research group obliged to report its results back into the database.

OvaCure & Partners

OvaCure, a Copenhagen-based scientific NGO, is on a mission to find a cure against ovarian cancer. OvaCure financially supports innovative research groups and projects, with a focus on enabling scientific partnerships across discipline silos.

The OvaCure Collection is based on a close collaboration with Professor Krister Wennerberg and an organoid expert, Assistant Professor Wojciech Senkowski at the Biotech Research & Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. There, based on the acclaimed organoid platform developed by Senkowski et al., cryopreserved patient-derived tumor tissue is grown, validated, and expanded into stable, well-characterized organoid models.

Currently, the primary tumor samples are derived from patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer at the Turku University Hospital, Finland, in the long-standing sample collection initiative coordinated by Professor Sakari Hietanen and adjunct Professor Johanna Hynninen.

Both original tissues and organoids derived from them are subject to whole-genome and RNA sequencing. Together with surgical observations, pathology reports, and clinical records, these are sources for deep data profiles made available for subsequent requests. The team under Professor Sampsa Hautaniemi at Helsinki University, Finland, is responsible for the underlying data structure as well as genomic and transcriptomic data processing and analysis.

Finally, the Auria Biobank in Turku, Finland, is responsible for the cryo-storage of the validated organoid models and all the associated data, as well as handling of the access application process, organoid distribution, and the associated legal requirements.

Krister Wennerberg

Professor
BRIC, University of Copenhagen

Wojciech Senkowski

Assistant Professor
BRIC, University of Copenhagen

Lila Kallio

Director
Auria Biobank

Johanna Hynninen

Adjunct professor, MD
University of Turku

Sakari Hietanen

Professor
University of Turku

Sampsa Hautaniemi

Professor
Helsinki University

Contact

    • mail@ovacure.org

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Fruebjergvej 3,
2100 Copenhagen

CVR: 3617 4951