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Organoids as an in vitro model of human development and disease

Nature Cell Biology volume 18, pages 246–254 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

The in vitro organoid model is a major technological breakthrough that has already been established as an essential tool in many basic biology and clinical applications. This near-physiological 3D model facilitates an accurate study of a range of in vivo biological processes including tissue renewal, stem cell/niche functions and tissue responses to drugs, mutation or damage. In this Review, we discuss the current achievements, challenges and potential applications of this technique.

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Figure 1: Organoid generation and culture from primary tissue and ESCs/iPSCs.
Figure 2: Applications of organoid technology for studying development, homeostasis and diseases.
Figure 3: Potential therapeutic and diagnostic uses for organoid technology in personalized medicine.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the members of the Barker lab for critical input on the manuscript. A.F., S.H.T. and N.B. are supported by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. A*STAR Institute of Medical Biology, 8A Biomedical Grove, 06-06 Immunos, 138648, Singapore

    Aliya Fatehullah, Si Hui Tan & Nick Barker

  2. Centre for Regenerative Medicine, 47 Little France Crescent, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK

    Nick Barker

  3. Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117596, Singapore

    Nick Barker

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Correspondence to Nick Barker.

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Fatehullah, A., Tan, S. & Barker, N. Organoids as an in vitro model of human development and disease. Nat Cell Biol 18, 246–254 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncb3312

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