Organoid Culture

Organoids are in-vitro 3D cell aggregates derived from stem cells which are not only capable of self-organization and long term self-renewal, but which also exhibit similar function to the tissues from which they were derived.^1-4) This is achieved through the use of physical and biochemical cues which are able to recapitulate cells’ natural environment within living tissue. As such, organoids are able to overcome many of the limitations of existing culture models (2D monolayers, 3D aggregates (such as spheroids), animal models, etc.). Current applications for organoid culture systems include those in:

• Developmental Biology^5-9)
• Disease Pathology^10-22)
• Drug Toxicity / Efficacy Testing^23-26)
• Regenerative Medicine^27-30)
• Personalized Medicine^{15,18,26,31,32)}

Organoids can be generated by imbedding either primary tissue (human adult stem cells (hAdSCs)) or pluripotent stem cells (induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) or embryonic stem cells (ESCs)) in the appropriate matrix components and applying appropriate signaling molecules / proteins.³⁾

Some examples of organoid culture conditions can be found below (matrix components, base culture medium, and chemically defined supplements not shown).

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References

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