From Biopsy to Bench

In this presentation, Yarelis Gonzalez-Vargas, PhD shares a groundbreaking “biopsy-to-bench” approach that transforms small patient tissue samples into 3D lymphatic organoids—miniature models that closely mimic how lymphatic malformations behave in the body. This innovative platform allows scientists to uncover hard-to-detect mosaic mutations, study disease behavior in real time, and test how individual tissues respond to targeted therapies. By using patient-derived models, this work moves the field closer to personalized treatment strategies, offering new hope for more precise diagnosis and care for people living with lymphatic and vascular anomalies.