Organoids: Three-Dimensional ‘blobs’ that are Reshaping the Future of Medicine

Abstract

Over the past decade, new advancements in stem cell and three-dimensional cell culture technologies have reignited interests in organoid research. The unassuming ‘blobs’ of cells made to mimic organs are revolutionizing human medicine. By utilizing stem cells such as human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), a wide variety of organoids can be generated in the lab. hPSC-derived organoids have proven to be powerful tools to model complex human diseases including but not limited to developmental disorders, degenerative diseases, infectious diseases, metabolic diseases, and cancers. Due to their complexities and multi-cellularity, these organoids can better recapitulate sophisticated disease phenotypes when compared to monolayered cells. Diseased organoids can then be easily expanded in vitro for drug discovery or high-throughput therapeutic screening. Organoid transplantation is also currently explored in the field of regenerative medicine. Researchers are now looking towards the generation of ‘next-gen’ organoids that reflect even higher degrees of organ complexities to achieve greater levels of cellular maturity and functionality while still maintaining its relatively simple form. Organoids, undoubtedly, hold tremendous promise in helping us understand and treat a wide array of human diseases.