Frontiers of organoid technology: Revolutionary breakthroughs from disease models to Personalized medicine

Organoids are an advanced three-dimensional cell culture system that mimics the structure and function of real biological organs. The technology, which mainly relies on stem cells and tissue engineering, enables cells to self-assemble under appropriate culture conditions to form miniature organ-like structures with certain tissue properties and functions. The construction of organoids usually begins with stem cells, including adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells  (iPSCs). With the help of specific growth factors and media, these stem cells can differentiate and self-organize into complex structures, similar to the many cell types and tissue layers found in native organs. Because of their ability to reproduce some of the physiological functions of organs outside the body, organoids have become important tools for biomedical research. Here are a few of the main areas of application for organoids:

1. Diseasemodeling: Organoids provide a powerful platform for studying the onset and progression of disease. They can be used to mimic a variety of disease states, including hereditary diseases, tumors, infectious diseases, etc., thus helping scientists better understand the biological basis of disease.
2. Drugdiscovery and testing : Since organoids can more truly  reflect the physiological and pathological environment of human tissues, they are used in the initial screening and safety testing of drugs,  helping to reduce the dependence on animal models and accelerate the  drug development process.
3. Personalizedmedicine : Organoids built using a patient's own stem cells can be used to predict an individual's response to a specific drug, guide precision medicine decisions, and achieve more effective personalized treatment.
4. Regenerativemedicine : Organoid technology offers new avenues for tissue and organ repair, for example, skin organoids can be used to repair the skin of burn patients, while islet organoids may be a new hope for diabetes treatment.
5. Toxicologicalresearch : Organoids can be used to assess the toxicity of chemicals, drugs or environmental factors to inform the development of safety standards and policies.
6. Developmentalbiology : Organoids provide a unique insight into embryonic development and tissue formation, helping scientists to understand the mechanisms of cellular interactions during normal development.
7. Gene-editingresearch :  In  combination  with  gene-editing techniques (such as CRISPR-Cas9), organoids are being used to explore the effects of genetic mutations on tissue function and promote greater understanding of inherited diseases.
8. Multi-omicsand  phylogenetic  studies :  Organoids  provide  experimental models for integrating genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data to help scientists interpret disease and treatment  responses from a systems biology perspective.
9. Celltherapy : Organoids can be used as a source of cells for cell therapy, such as transplanting specific types of cells into a patient to repair or replace damaged tissues or organs.
10. Educationand training : Organoids are also used in medical education to help students and doctors intuitively understand the structure and function of human organs.

To sum up,  organoid technology is gradually  becoming  an indispensable part of biomedical research, and its scope and depth of application are still expanding.

Organoid culture-related cytokines