Topic: Application of patient-derived glioblastoma organoids for basic and translational research

Speaker: Prof. Hongjun SONG

Time: 16:00-17:30 PM, 19 Aug. , 2025

Venue: Lecture hall 111, Lynn Library

Abstract:

In contrast to many other cancers, little advances have been made over the past two decades in treating glioblastoma (GBM), a deadly adult brain cancer, in part due to challenges in translating findings from preclinical models to the clinic. Current preclincal models of GBM cell lines and xenografts are not adequate to model patient tumor heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment. We developed a novel surgical resection-derived GBM tumor organoid model that retains tumor characteristic of individual patients at cellular, molecular, genetic and structural levels as well as tumor microenvironment. I will present our recent studies applying these organoids for translational research in an ongoing Phase I clinical trial to help monitor patient treatment responses and for basic research in the context of cancer neuroscience.

Brief introduction of the speaker:

Dr. Hongjun Song earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Peking University in 1992. He went on to receive a Master of Science in Biology from Columbia University in 1995, followed by a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of California, San Diego in 1998.In 2002, Dr. Song began conducting postdoctoral research at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Following this, he joined the faculty at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He currently holds the position of Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. Additionally, he serves as the Co-director of Neurodevelopment and Regeneration program, Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Research in Dr. Hongjun Song's laboratory focuses on two core topics: (1) neural stem cell regulation and neurogenesis in the developing and adult mammalian brain and how these processes affect neural function; (2) epigenetic and epitranscriptomic mechanisms and their functions in the mammalian nervous system. The lab is also interested in addressing how dysfunction of these mechanisms may be involved in brain disorders.

Honors:

Kingenstein Fellowship Awards in the Neuroscience (2003), McKnight Scholar Award (2006), Inaugural Young Investigator Award of the Chinese Biological Investigators Society (CBIS; 2007), NARSAD Independent Investigator Award (2008), Young Investigator Award of Society for Neuroscience (2008), Rising Star Award from International Mental Health Research Organization (2009), NINDS Jacob Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award (R37 award, 2013-2020), Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher (2014-2016), Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher (2017-2023), The Graduate Student Teaching Award at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2015), Young Investigator Award of Society of Chinese Bioscientists in America (SCBA, 2015), The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Director’s Award (2017), NINDS Outstanding Investigator Award (R35 award, 2020-2028), Elected member of National Academy of Medicine (2020), Elected Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) (2021), NINDS Landis Mentoring Award for Outstanding Mentorship (2022).

Contributions to Science:

1. Mechanisms regulating adult hippocampal neural stem cells and neurogenesis and single-cell biology. Related achievements have been published in Nature(2006&2022)、Cell(2007&2019);

2. Neuroepigenetics and Neuroepitranscriptomics. Related achievements have been published in Science (2009), Cell (2011&2017), and Cell Stem Cell (2025);

3. Human iPSC-derived brain organoids. Related achievements have been published in Nature(2024)、Cell(2016)、Cell Stem Cell(2020&2021);

4.Glioblastoma and cancer neuroscience. Related achievements have been published in Nature(2012&2024)、Cell(2020)、Cell Stem Cell(2025).