Organoids: Small Cells Doing Big ThingsFranklin T Wilson

Introduction

Organoids are small three-dimensional tissues that mimic the function of it’s larger organ origin. They were first propagated in 2007 by Hans Clever with a “mini-gut”, and have since then exploded in popularity among researchers. Today, there are many different types of organoids including cerebral, pancreatic, and cardiac cells. The possible uses for these external mini-organs are obviously far-reaching, but the time and cost to produce them is still relatively high. However, with the constant technological advancements being made by researchers everyday, the time and cost for cultivating these organoids is decreasing everyday.

The goal of this research was to - Learn the process of cultivating organoids - Learn about the different organoid tissues being grown presently - Explore the potential of organoids in the medical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnological fields

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Although organoids are still in their relative infancy as a field of research, they are already showing a great amount of potential. As our methodologies and techniques continue to advance for cultivating them, so does our potential for medical and scientific use and understanding.

The basic premise of cultivating organoids is to harvest pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) from a desired organ. The cells are then cultured the cells in a nutritional gel-like environment, allowing them to grow in three dimensions. Through the use of certain stimulators and procedures, they are able to “convince” the cells to grow, and they naturally form themselves into a ball-like structure. This structure, although not complete by any means, has the basic elements of a miniature organ without the need for a blood supply, as it is nourished by the surrounding gel.

The method of research was largely online scholarly article-based study. Thanks to Dr. Barlow at GTCC, peer-reviewed journal articles were easily obtained that otherwise would have been inaccessible for this research.

Results

Organoid derivation and development (credit: Rene Anand and Susan McKay)

As the list of organoid types grows, so does the potential uses for them. At Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine for example, they are already able to produce cardiac and liver organoids that can be used to test harmful “chemical and biological agents” on tissues without having to use live animals, which is beneficial for a multitude of reasons. From there, they will be potentially able to produce anecdotes and treatments for these biological agents, all potentially without the use of laboratory animals.