REVIEW: Tumor Spheroids, Tumor Organoids, Tumor Explants, and Tumoroids: What Are the Differences between Them?

---

Mikhail Durymanov^1,2,a*

¹Medical Informatics Laboratory, Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University, 173003 Veliky Novgorod, Russia

²Department of Radiochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: November 23, 2024; Revised: January 10, 2025; Accepted: January 16, 2025

---

Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures that mimic tumor microenvironment have become an essential tool in cancer research and drug response analysis, significantly enhancing our understanding of tumor biology and advancing personalized medicine. Currently, the most widely mentioned 3D multicellular culture models include spheroids, organoids, tumor explants, and tumoroids. These 3D structures, exploited for various applications, are generated from cancer and non-cancer cells of different origin using multiple techniques. However, despite extensive research and numerous studies, consistent definitions of these 3D culture models are not clearly established. The manuscript provides a comprehensive overview of these models, detailing brief history of their research, unique biological characteristics, advantages, limitations, and specific applications.

---

KEY WORDS: tumor spheroids, tumor organoids, tumor explants, tumoroids, personalized medicine

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297924604234

Publisher’s Note. Pleiades Publishing remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

---