Organoids are 3D cell cultures cultured in vitro using adult stem cells, which have highly similar histological characteristics to the corresponding human organs and can reproduce part of the physiological functions of the organs. As a cutting-edge in vitro model, organoids have broad application prospects in stem cell and development, regenerative medicine, disease research, drug development, and precision medicine.

Applications and services of organoids:

1. Modeling development and disease through organoids

Organoids are grown from induced pluripotent stem cells derived from human stem cells or adult cells, or obtained and cultured from a patient's lesion. Their composition and structure are also similar to the original tissue, and they are easy to handle and cryopreserve.

2Organoids and precision medicine

Use organoid samples to evaluate the tumor-killing effects of anti-tumor drugs and normal tissue toxic side effects; combined with organoid mutation phenotypes and drug screening, on the one hand, verify the correlation between known mutants and specific drugs, and on the other On the other hand, it can also find a number of chemical drugs that have killing effects on tumors; more importantly, this type of organ library can be used for drug screening, and can also analyze different individual tumor organoids and normal tissue organoids from genomics and proteomics. Perform comparative analysis to achieve accurate assessment of the patient's tumor status and provide reference information for personalized tumor treatment; the use of tumor organoids and immune cells to co-culture can quickly and effectively detect the killing effect of immune cells on tumor cells.

3) Stem cell organoid engineering

Advances in stem cell bioengineering technology have improved the ability to control cell types, tissues, and interactions, while organoid engineering is now requiring manipulation of each structural layer by directly modifying stem cells or controlling the microenvironment. By modifying the biologically inert area of the matrix with signal proteins, the activity of stem cells can be better controlled.

Take the pancreatic islet organoid as an example. The pancreatic organoid is a three-dimensional cell culture, which contains some of the most critical characteristics of the pancreas. This type of in vitro culture system includes a self-renewing stem cell population that can differentiate into multiple specific organ cell types, has a similar spatial organization to the corresponding pancreatic organ, and can reproduce part of the function of the corresponding organ pancreas, thereby providing scientists with a Highly physiologically relevant system. Insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells extracted from human stem cells, which already have immune tolerance, can also alleviate insulin-dependent diabetes or achieve transplantation for a long time.

Culture of the pancreatic islet organoid（day 7）