Oh, look, another day, another groundbreaking study in the world of rare lung cancers. This time, scientists have outdone themselves by cultivating three whole LCNEC tumoroids for long-term gossip sessions. Because, you know, the more, the merrier, especially when it comes to pulmonary large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) – a disease that’s as hard to say as it is to treat.

Through the magic of whole-exome sequencing (basically, cancer’s ancestry.com), these tumoroids were found to carry the family jewels – genetic mutations from their parental tumors. Surprise, surprise, two were tagged as small-cell carcinoma (S-LCNEC) wannabes, and one fancied itself as a non-small cell carcinoma (N-LCNEC). It’s like a high school clique, but with cancer cells.

Then, in a move straight out of a sci-fi novel, these tumoroids were transplanted into immunodeficient mice, who did their best impressions of the parent LCNEC. One even went method, showcasing a mixed-tissue type performance of combined LCNEC with a hint of adenocarcinoma. Bravo!

But wait, there’s more! Drug sensitivity tests were the next act, turning these LCNEC tumoroids into lab rats (figuratively speaking) to see which therapeutic agent would win the battle royale. And, drumroll please… the CDK4/6 inhibitor might just be the knight in shining armor for N-LCNEC, while Aurora A kinase inhibitors could be the secret weapon against S-LCNEC or LCNEC with a flair for MYC amplification.

So, what have we learned from this thrilling episode of “As the Tumoroid Turns”? Well, preclinical tumoroid models are the unsung heroes in the quest to understand the soap opera that is rare cancers. And, LCNEC tumoroids? They’re not just good at surviving; they’re potential superstars in the personalized medicine talent show. Who knew cancer research could be so… entertaining?