Topic: Advancing Precision Oncology in Hepatobiliary Cancers: Bridging Innovative Models, Biomarkers, and Therapeutic Translation

Hepatobiliary malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), remain among the most challenging cancers worldwide due to their high heterogeneity, late-stage diagnosis, and limited therapeutic options. Despite recent advances in systemic therapies, the outcomes of patients remain suboptimal, underscoring the urgent need for more precise and personalized therapeutic strategies. The emergence of precision oncology, powered by molecular profiling and personalized approaches, has opened new avenues for improving early detection, prognosis, and therapeutic effectiveness in hepatobiliary cancers.

This special Issue aims to showcase cutting-edge research that bridges innovative preclinical models, emerging biomarkers, and clinical translation in the field of hepatobiliary oncology. The integration of advanced models such as patient-derived organoids, immune-organoid co-culture systems, genetically engineered mouse models, 3D bioprinted tissues, and microfluidic organ-on-a-chip platforms offers unprecedented opportunities to recapitulate tumor microenvironments, unravel disease mechanisms, and identify potential therapeutics in a personalized manner.

We are particularly interested in studies that bridge novel model systems with clinical applications, such as the use of organoids for high-throughput drug screening, the functional validation of candidate biomarkers, the modeling of therapy resistance, and the design of clinical trials based on preclinical models. Additionally, we welcome contributions that integrate multi-omics, spatial-omics, artificial intelligence, and computational modeling to enhance the predictive power and guide individualized anti-cancer treatments.

This issue will provide a forum for interdisciplinary research that involves scientists, clinicians and bioengineers in the shared mission of translating innovative models into practical clinical strategies. We welcome original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, clinical trials, case reports, commentaries, methodological studies, and perspectives focused on, but not limited to, the following topics:

1. Development and standardization of novel preclinical models for hepatobiliary cancers;

2. Applications for patient-derived tumor organoids and spheroids in disease modeling and drug screening;

3. Immune-organoid co-cultures and humanized models for studying tumor-immune interactions and immunotherapy response;

4. Genetically engineered mouse models and genome-edited organoids for investigating driver genes, tumor evolution and resistance;

5. 3D bioprinting technology, organ-on-a-chip, and microfluidic systems for mimicking tumor microenvironments;

6. Biomarker discovery and validation for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic response;

7. Application of novel models in personalized medicine approaches, including clinical trials and functional precision oncology;

8. Integration of multi-omics and spatial-omics tools in biomarker discovery and validation;

9. Recapitulating therapeutic resistance and developing joint or sequential anti-tumor strategies using advanced platforms;

10. Model- and biomarker-driven therapeutic decision-making and personalized treatment in hepatobiliary cancers