Abstract 2518: Feasibility study of an <i>ex vivo</i> functional precision medicine platform, Optim.AI™, in guiding treatment for gynecological cancers

Abstract Background: Gynecological cancers, like ovarian and endometrial, face therapeutic challenges due to their molecular heterogeneity and high rates of relapse following standard platinum-based chemotherapy. Access to genetic information, such as BRCA mutation and homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) status, can predict potential responders to PARP inhibitors. However, these actionable mutations are amenable for a subset of patients only, underscoring the need for complementary functional precision medicine approaches. This ex vivo screening strategy could potentially support patient treatment management. Optim.AI™, a combinatorial functional precision medicine platform, has previously validated clinical utility for hematological cancers and sarcoma. In this feasibility study, we explored the application of Optim.AI™ on ovarian and endometrial cancers. Methods: Tumor cells were isolated from tissue samples from both biopsies and resections. Short-term patient-derived organoids were formed before combinatorial treatment with 12 drugs containing both FDA-approved chemotherapy and targeted drugs. Cell viability was quantified post-drug treatment for Optim.AI™ analysis, ranking all possible top combinatorial therapies for report generation. Retrospective concordance analysis was carried out after clinical responses were collected. Results: Based on the samples received, minimum tissue mass of 0.0835g and 0.368g for ovarian and endometrial samples respectively yielded sufficient cells to proceed with Optim.AI™ testing. Reports were successfully generated for 94% of these samples, with a mean turnaround time of seven working days. Z’ factor, a statistical, quality measure for high-throughput screening, was demonstrated to be more than 0.5 for all reports generated, indicative of very good assays. Across the eight ovarian cancer reports generated, Gemcitabine-based combinations were among the most frequently top-ranked treatments. Notably, for HRD-negative patients, Optim.AI™ predictions commonly suggested increased sensitivity to gemcitabine paired with doxorubicin and paclitaxel Preliminary retrospective concordance analysis highlights Optim.AI™’s ability to predict response, where general correlation was observed between lower NCV and higher chemotherapy response score. Conclusion: This study showcases Optim.AI™ as a viable clinical-decision support platform for aiding treatment management for gynecological cancers, particularly for patients who do not harbor actionable mutations. Prospective clinical concordance analysis of Optim.AI™-guided treatments would further validate its clinical utility in these cancers and provide potential precision medicine insights for HRD-negative patients. Citation Format: Masturah Rashid, Jhin Jieh Lim, Sharon Pei Yi Chan, Manavi Sachdeva, Hidayah Nabillah Nasit, Natalie Ngoi, John Chia, David Tan, Edward Kai-Hua Chow. Feasibility study of an ex vivo functional precision medicine platform, Optim.AI™, in guiding treatment for gynecological cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 2518.

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Journal
Cancer Research
Published
2026-04-03
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.am2026-2518
Primary Topic
PARP inhibition in cancer therapy
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article
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article

Abstract 2518: Feasibility study of an ex vivo functional precision medicine platform, Optim.AI™, in guiding treatment for gynecological cancers

Natalie Y.L. Ngoi, Manavi Sachdeva, Sharon Pei Yi Chan, Edward KH Chow et al.
Cancer Research
PARP inhibition in cancer therapy
article

Abstract 2518: Feasibility study of an ex vivo functional precision medicine platform, Optim.AI™, in guiding treatment for gynecological cancers

Natalie Y.L. Ngoi, Manavi Sachdeva, Sharon Pei Yi Chan, Edward KH Chow, Jhin Jieh Lim, John Chia, Hidayah Nabillah Nasit, Masturah Rashid
article en

Abstract

Abstract Background: Gynecological cancers, like ovarian and endometrial, face therapeutic challenges due to their molecular heterogeneity and high rates of relapse following standard platinum-based chemotherapy. Access to genetic information, such as BRCA mutation and homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) status, can predict potential responders to PARP inhibitors. However, these actionable mutations are amenable for a subset of patients only, underscoring the need for complementary functional precision medicine approaches. This ex vivo screening strategy could potentially support patient treatment management. Optim.AI™, a combinatorial functional precision medicine platform, has previously validated clinical utility for hematological cancers and sarcoma. In this feasibility study, we explored the application of Optim.AI™ on ovarian and endometrial cancers. Methods: Tumor cells were isolated from tissue samples from both biopsies and resections. Short-term patient-derived organoids were formed before combinatorial treatment with 12 drugs containing both FDA-approved chemotherapy and targeted drugs. Cell viability was quantified post-drug treatment for Optim.AI™ analysis, ranking all possible top combinatorial therapies for report generation. Retrospective concordance analysis was carried out after clinical responses were collected. Results: Based on the samples received, minimum tissue mass of 0.0835g and 0.368g for ovarian and endometrial samples respectively yielded sufficient cells to proceed with Optim.AI™ testing. Reports were successfully generated for 94% of these samples, with a mean turnaround time of seven working days. Z’ factor, a statistical, quality measure for high-throughput screening, was demonstrated to be more than 0.5 for all reports generated, indicative of very good assays. Across the eight ovarian cancer reports generated, Gemcitabine-based combinations were among the most frequently top-ranked treatments. Notably, for HRD-negative patients, Optim.AI™ predictions commonly suggested increased sensitivity to gemcitabine paired with doxorubicin and paclitaxel Preliminary retrospective concordance analysis highlights Optim.AI™’s ability to predict response, where general correlation was observed between lower NCV and higher chemotherapy response score. Conclusion: This study showcases Optim.AI™ as a viable clinical-decision support platform for aiding treatment management for gynecological cancers, particularly for patients who do not harbor actionable mutations. Prospective clinical concordance analysis of Optim.AI™-guided treatments would further validate its clinical utility in these cancers and provide potential precision medicine insights for HRD-negative patients. Citation Format: Masturah Rashid, Jhin Jieh Lim, Sharon Pei Yi Chan, Manavi Sachdeva, Hidayah Nabillah Nasit, Natalie Ngoi, John Chia, David Tan, Edward Kai-Hua Chow. Feasibility study of an ex vivo functional precision medicine platform, Optim.AI™, in guiding treatment for gynecological cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2026; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2026 Apr 17-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2026;86(7 Suppl):Abstract nr 2518.

Cancer ResearchVol. 86(7_Supplement)
TauRx Pharmaceuticals (Singapore) (SG), Broadcom (Singapore) (SG), National University Hospital (SG)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 23%
PARP inhibition in cancer therapy
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