Organoids are three-dimensional clusters of cells grown in a laboratory, that resemble a tissue or organ.
What are organoids?
Organoids are grown from stem cells that can self-renew and then mature into organ-specific cell types. Organoids grow as clusters of cells that form structures that mimic the architecture and function of the organ from which they were derived.
Organoids can be generated from normal or diseased tissue, including cancer tissue. They can be grown continually and expanded in culture or frozen and stored for future use.
An organoid researcher assessing the cells
An organoid formed from colon cells, forming a miniature version of the crypts in the colon
Organoids can be used for researchers to understand normal and diseased tissue biology. They also provide a model for drug-testing;
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for newly discovered novel compounds
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to identify the optimal drugs or drug combinations for individual patient tissue, thus offering new opportunities for personalised medicine. As organoids can be grown from individual patients, drug testing can be performed directly on the diseased tissue. This will save the patient from undergoing unnecessary treatments for drugs that won't work in their particular disease, and precious treatment time.
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