Organoide - Info

Alternatively, organoids can also be cultivated outside a gel matrix, e.g. using the hanging drop method in which the organoids are suspended in a medium drop on the underside of a cell culture plate. Due to the surface tension of the droplet, the organoids remain inside the droplet and can thus be separated more easily from their growth medium.

Another method is organoid chips, in which the organoids are cultivated in a controlled and continuous flow of liquid.

Possible applications of organoids

Models for genetic diseases

Organoids can replicate organs in vitro and model genetic diseases. The combination with gene editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9 enables deeper insights into the causes and treatment options of genetic diseases.

Research into infectious diseases

Organoids provide human models for research into infectious diseases. They enable the study of viruses such as Zika, norovirus, hepatitis viruses and SARS-CoV-2 as well as bacteria and parasites. Organoids make it possible to investigate the interactions between different cell types and tissues as well as the reactions to infections and immune responses in a complex environment, whereas only one cell type can be studied in a 2D cell culture. These 3D models support research into disease mechanisms, the development of new therapies and the understanding of tumour development through infections.

Models for metabolic diseases

Adipose organoids enable the study of fat metabolism and obesity. Liver organoids can be used to study the mechanisms of fat deposition in the liver and the development of fatty liver disease, including the effects of diet and drugs. This allows deeper insights into the disease to be gained in order to develop new therapeutic options.

Investigation of cancer diseases

Tumour models such as cell lines and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) have limitations as they do not fully reflect tumour heterogeneity and genetic diversity. Organoids, on the other hand, better preserve the 3D structure and genetic characteristics of tumours. They enable the study of tumour development, metastases and immunotherapies, provide more realistic models for research and enable more accurate predictions of treatment efficacy.

Drug discovery and development

Organoids offer unique advantages in drug discovery as they can mimic the physiological functions of organs. They enable the discovery of new drugs and, above all, the assessment of drug toxicity. This leads to more realistic results than with 2D cell cultures. In addition, drugs can be tested in a high-throughput process, which saves a considerable amount of time and increases efficiency.

Personalised medicine

Organoids can be produced from patient samples, allowing researchers to study specific diseases on an individualised basis. This promotes personalised medicine and enables the development of tailored treatment strategies.

Organoids - a replacement for animal testing?

The classic way of researching diseases is via suitable animal models, but animal experiments are associated with a great deal of bureaucracy. This is primarily to protect the animals. Since the introduction of the 3Rs principle (Reduce, Refine, Replace), animal experiments have been more strictly regulated and require more intensive testing by the relevant authorities in order to protect animals from unnecessary experiments.

As a result, organoids are a good way of testing drugs for efficacy and toxicity in the preclinical phase. They provide more information about the effect of the drug than conventional 2D cell cultures, as they are physiologically very similar to human organs and could also be used to test toxicity and pharmacokinetics. However, organoids are currently only approved as an addition to animal experiments, as no standardisation and validation of organoids has yet taken place that would guarantee the reproducibility of results.

Products for research with organoids: