Functional precision oncology using single-cell omics: a new paradigm in precision medicine

Precision medicine aims at matching the right treatment to the right patient. The classical approach of matching patients and therapies by bulk genomic profiling is reaching its limitations and often does not provide a suitable solution. Functional precision oncology (FPO) assays - an approach that involves exposing viable tumor cells ex vivo to various candidate treatments, followed by a measurement of a dynamic range of cellular/functional responses towards the therapeutic insult -.offer an attractive alternative to speed up the gathering of actionable insights. The heterogeneity of many cancers highlights the pivotal role of single-cell omics in refining diagnostic and prognostic tools, but also the opportunity to discover novel drug targets and identifying their mechanisms of action. In this presentation, we will illustrate the transformative impact of single-cell omics technologies and advanced data profiling on the management of malignant brain tumors.