Toshio Suzuki, Member of the Board of Directors and Head of Translational Science at HiLung Inc., presented findings from lung cancer research conducted in collaboration with Chiba University using human iPSC-derived alveolar organoids at the AACR Annual Meeting 2026, held April 17–22, 2026, in San Diego, California. The meeting brings together researchers from around the world to share the latest advances in cancer research, spanning basic science, drug discovery, and clinical research.
The study focused on drug-tolerant persister (DTP) cells—cancer cells that survive drug treatment. These cells may contribute to relapse and the development of drug resistance, making it essential to understand the mechanisms that support their survival.
Using HiLung’s technology for integrating lung cancer cells into human iPSC-derived alveolar organoids, the research team developed a three-dimensional model in which cancer cells coexist with surrounding alveolar epithelial cells and fibroblasts. Single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics were combined to investigate responses to targeted therapies and antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), alongside cellular interactions and their spatial organization.
The findings suggest that interactions with alveolar epithelial cells, stromal components, and the extracellular matrix contribute to the maintenance of DTP cells. The study also highlighted the potential of interventions targeting this surrounding microenvironment to enable new therapeutic strategies against cancer cells that persist after treatment.
Through collaborative research with academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies, together with the development of human iPSC-derived lung models, HiLung will continue to advance the understanding of treatment resistance across a range of diseases and develop new platforms for drug discovery and efficacy assessment.