PhilSci Archive

Patient-derived Organoids in Precision Oncology – Towards a Science of and for the Individual?

Green, Sara and Dam, Mie Seest and Svendsen, Mette Nordahl (2021) Patient-derived Organoids in Precision Oncology – Towards a Science of and for the Individual? [Preprint]

WarningThere is a more recent version of this item available.
[img]
Preview
Text
Green, Dam, Svendsen_preprint.pdf

Download (334kB) | Preview

Abstract

An interesting question for philosophy of science is how the “personal” gets constituted, scientifically as well as socially, through new technologies and practices in personalized medicine. A novel approach to better account for patient variation is to develop so-called tumor organoids based on tumor samples from individual cancer patients. Given their ability to recapitulate tumor heterogeneity, patient-derived models have been highlighted as breaking way for a “science of the individual” or a “one patient paradigm” in medicine. But to what extent is it possible – and desirable – for in vitro models to become “substitutes” for patients or patient types? To explore such questions, we combine philosophical and ethnographic analysis of laboratory research and clinical research practice. We analyze how epistemic uncertainties about the evidential status of organoids relate to ontological uncertainties about the nature of cancer itself, and document challenges of determining what level of variation is scientifically and clinically meaningful in personalized medicine. Moreover, we show how epistemic and ethical implications intersect when tumor organoids are attempted used for patient-specific drug screening. In this context, researchers and clinicians become stretched between the hopes of patients and epistemic uncertainty.


Export/Citation: EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL
Social Networking:
Share |

Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Green, Sara
Dam, Mie Seest
Svendsen, Mette Nordahl
Keywords: Personalized medicine; Precision oncology; Tumor organoids; Tumor heterogeneity; Patient-derived models
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Medicine > Biomedical Ethics
Specific Sciences > Medicine > Clinical Trials
Specific Sciences > Medicine > Health and Disease
General Issues > Models and Idealization
Depositing User: Dr. Sara Green
Date Deposited: 26 Jul 2021 03:57
Last Modified: 26 Jul 2021 03:57
Item ID: 19305
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Medicine > Biomedical Ethics
Specific Sciences > Medicine > Clinical Trials
Specific Sciences > Medicine > Health and Disease
General Issues > Models and Idealization
Date: 2021
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/19305

Available Versions of this Item

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item