Articles tagged with Organoids
Researchers at Hiroshima University explore the ethics of growing brain organoids from human fetal brain cells, highlighting concerns over consciousness, informed consent, and medical applications. The study emphasizes the need for a global regulatory framework to navigate the complex ethical landscape of fetal brain organoid research.
Researchers at NTU Singapore successfully grew 'mini kidneys' in the lab, grafted them into live mice, and found a potential treatment for polycystic kidney disease by boosting autophagy. The study suggests that minoxidil could be used to reduce cysts in the novel mouse model.
Researchers found TDP-43 drives nerve damage after injury and blocking cell surface protein KCNJ2 can correct faulty TDP-43, curbing nerve death. The study provides insights into traumatic brain injury and potential prevention methods.
Researchers have shown that a single normal copy of a defective gene can prevent cysts in polycystic kidney disease. Additionally, they found that a type of drug called a glycoside can sidestep the effects of the defective gene and prevent cyst formation.
A traumatic brain injury quadruples the risk of developing dementia and neurodegenerative diseases like ALS. USC scientists used lab-grown human brain structures called organoids to study TBI's effects. They identified a gene, KCNJ2, that helps protect nerve cells against injury.
Researchers discovered that neonatal spinal cord ECM significantly enhanced NPC proliferation, migration, and differentiation compared to adult ECM. This study highlights the critical role of early developmental spinal cord ECM in orchestrating spinal cord regeneration processes.
A new study led by Dr. Mareike Albert identified epiregulin as a growth factor involved in brain expansion in humans, but not in mice or other primates. The findings were made using 3D cell culture technology and brain organoids.
Researchers at Yokohama National University found that cinnamic acid activates oxytocin receptor expression, increasing hair growth gene expression in human dermal papilla cells. The compound showed a similar hair growth effect to oxytocin, with a 1.25-fold increase in hair shaft-like structures.
Organoid technology holds great potential for clinical applications, particularly in cancer. Patient-derived tumor organoids effectively recapitulate the histopathologic characterization of parental tumors and exhibit a degree of preservation of genomic features.
An international research team achieved complete vascularization of organoids on a microfluidic chip, improving growth and physiological functions. The breakthrough enables production scaling and paves the way for personalized medicine, regenerative medicine, and pharmacological research.
Researchers have developed a vascularized organoid model (VOM) that accurately replicates the actual vasculature and environment of gastric cancer, enabling patient-specific predictions of response to anticancer drugs. The VOM demonstrates high cell viability rates and similarity to actual gastric cancer conditions.
A new link has been discovered between FBXW7 mutations and EGFR signaling activity in colorectal cancer. The study found that the mutated form of the FBXW7 gene could no longer degrade the EGFR protein, leading to increased signaling activity and a decreased response to anti-EGFR treatment.
The USC CIRM ASCEND Center will offer organoids, single-cell analysis, and spatial transcriptomics services to the California research community. The center aims to facilitate collaboration, technology transfer, and a competent workforce in personalized medicine.
A recent study at Salk Institute evaluates the reliability of patient-derived organoids as a clinical model for pancreatic cancer. The findings reveal that organoids' gene expression and drug responses are not affected by commercial extracellular matrix brands, but one product increases growth rate.
Researchers at Iowa State University have created a lab-grown liver organoid from turtles, enabling faster study of their unique adaptations with potential medical applications. The organoids mimic the liver's role in helping turtles survive extreme cold and oxygen deprivation.
A research team developed a model of the blood-brain barrier using modularized tissue derived from human cells. The 'Tissue-in-a-CUBE' system accurately mimics the real blood-brain barrier in terms of structure and function, allowing for the testing of drugs without animal testing.
Researchers at Salk Institute have created a novel organoid model of the human brain that includes mature, functional astrocytes. This allows for the study of inflammation and stress in aging and diseases like Alzheimer's with greater clarity, revealing a relationship between astrocyte dysfunction and inflammation.
The team successfully created 'laboratory testicles' that closely simulate a natural testicle, allowing for the potential production of sperm cells in the lab. The artificial testicles were cultured from immature testicular cells sampled from neonatal mice and showed signs of meiosis, a process in which gametes are produced.
Scientists have discovered that pancreatic cancer hijacks the brain-building protein Engrailed-1, leading to faster and deadlier metastasis. By targeting this aberrant protein, researchers may be able to develop personalized therapies and slow cancer progression.
Scientists created a human heart organoid system to simulate embryonic heart development under pregestational diabetes-like conditions. The organoids recapitulate hallmarks of the condition and showed that ER stress and lipid imbalance contribute to the disorders. Exposure to omega-3s ameliorated the effects.
Researchers grew lab-tumours from patient tissue to accurately predict drug effectiveness, showing high accuracy in identifying effective treatments and rejecting ineffective ones. The study paves the way for revolutionising personalised medicine and clinician-patient care through improved treatment selection.
Researchers discovered how an offshoot of vitamin A generates the cells that enable people to see millions of colors. The study found that a molecule called retinoic acid determines whether a cone will specialize in sensing red or green light, making humans uniquely color-savvy.
The Organoid group at the Hubrecht Institute produced the first organoid model of the human conjunctiva, which functions like real human conjunctiva. The researchers discovered a new cell type called tuft cells that become more abundant under allergy-like conditions and play a role in eye's reaction to allergies.
Researchers have discovered how pioneer transcription factors, such as FOXA and OCT4, coordinate with epigenetic repressors to safeguard cell fate, enabling precise manipulation of cell fate in cellular programming and reprogramming. This breakthrough has important implications for scaling up organoid and tissue engineering technology.
Scientists have developed mini-brains from human fetal brain tissue that self-organize in vitro. These lab-grown organoids can study brain development and disease, including brain tumors. They offer a valuable means to untangle the complex network of molecules involved in directing brain development.
A novel human brain organoid model generates all major cell types of the cerebellum, including functional Purkinje neurons. This breakthrough provides a new way to explore cerebellar development and disorders, advancing therapeutic interventions.
A drug screening system modeling cancers with lab-grown tissues called organoids helped uncover a promising target for future pancreatic cancer treatments. Researchers identified an existing heart drug, perhexiline maleate, that powerfully suppresses the growth of pancreatic tumor organoids.
A study by Waseda University explores the effects of different vascularization strategies on brain organoids, improving cell differentiation and transcriptome profiles. Vascularized cerebral organoids exhibit a gene expression profile closer to fetal human brains than non-vascularized ones.
Researchers have developed a new model for studying pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors, which may indicate that patients with EGF-dependent NETs can be treated with EGF receptor inhibitors. This discovery provides a promising route of treatment for aggressive pulmonary NETs.
A new organoid model replicates the dopaminergic system's structure, connectivity, and functionality, shedding light on its intricate functionality and potential implications for Parkinson’s disease. The model also uncovers the enduring effects of chronic cocaine exposure on the dopaminergic circuit, even after withdrawal.
Researchers create a new, multi-chamber organoid model of the human heart, enabling them to advance screening platforms for drug development, toxicology studies, and understanding heart development. The model reveals intricate communication between chambers and provides insight into early heart development.
A new method has been developed to rapidly identify genes that drive tumor growth in various types of cancers. Organoids were used to test candidate genes, revealing promising targets for precision oncology. The study's findings may lead to the development of targeted therapies for patients with esophageal squamous cancer.
Researchers at the Princess Máxima Center and Hubrecht Institute developed a new cortex organoid that more accurately captures essential features of the human brain. The mini-organs can be used to model pediatric brain tumors, offering potential targets for treatment.
Researchers at IMBA Institute of Molecular Biotechnology have identified a new gene, Daam1, that plays an essential role in switching on the development of secretory cells in the intestine. The finding opens new perspectives in cancer research.
Researchers at MUSC and Cincinnati Children's have developed a novel colon organoid model with naturally occurring immune cells. The model has the potential to improve treatment outcomes for colon-related diseases such as cancer and IBD by providing a more complete human organoid system that can be used to model inflammation in the colon.
A new USC study reveals that variants of the autism-linked gene SYNGAP1 can disrupt early brain development in the cortex, a region involved in higher-order cognitive functions. The research found that disease-causing variants of SYNGAP1 alter the cells' cytoskeletons and lead to disorganized neural circuits.
Researchers at Kanazawa University found that genetic alterations underlie the dual function of activins in colorectal cancer. Mutations in genes such as Kras and Trp53 can promote tumor progression while also suppressing it, highlighting the complex role of TGF-ß signaling.
A study using human mini guts reveals a link between high polyp proliferation and increased serotonin production, which may lead to new treatments for Cronkhite-Canada syndrome. The findings suggest that serotonin inhibitors could improve the outcome of this disease.
Scientists have developed a way to regulate gene expression in organoids using optogenetics, enabling the observation of cell behavior and development patterns. This breakthrough allows for more accurate reproduction of tissue processes in the petri dish.
Researchers used gut organoids to study gut cell differentiation, identifying ZNF800 as a key regulator of enteroendocrine cells. The discovery could have implications for understanding gastrointestinal diseases and endocrine disorders.
Researchers identified a gut-lung axis driven by intestinal antimicrobial peptide expression and mediated by the intestinal microbiota that influences hyperoxia-induced lung injury. Supplemental lysozyme reduced lung injury in neonatal mice, suggesting a potential therapeutic target.
Researchers have developed a lab-grown human skin model that effectively replicates mpox virus infections, providing insights into the virus's mechanisms of attack on skin cells. The study reveals how the virus causes disease and identifies potential therapeutic targets, including an antiviral drug called tecovirimat.
Researchers have developed a human vascular organoid model that accurately mimics the damage caused by SARS-CoV-2, revealing clues for a potential COVID-19 treatment. The study identified a long-acting monoclonal antibody targeting factor D as a promising approach to mitigate severe vascular damage and thrombosis associated with COVID-19.
Researchers identified dozens of genes implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders, which have similar effects on brain function. The study uses a new method to sort defective genes by their function, accelerating drug development for these disorders.
A new biomimetic chip has been developed to simulate the human gastric mucosa, combining organoid and organ-on-a-chip technologies. The biochip replicates mechanical stimulation and cell-to-cell interactions, mimicking key features of the human stomach's defense mechanisms.
Researchers developed a technique called CHOOSE that allows them to test the effect of multiple mutations in parallel and at a single-cell level within human brain organoids. The study identified critical transcriptional changes regulated through common networks, or GRNs, and found that some cell types are more susceptible to autism mu...
A preclinical study suggests that nanowired cardiac organoids could repair hearts instead of just preventing further damage. The treatment, led by Dr. Mei and Ryan Barrs, showed a 69% increase in heart function, promising a new therapy for heart disease.
Researchers used base editors to introduce specific combinations of activating and inactivating mutations into healthy organoids, creating realistic models for various types of cancer. This allows for further investigation into the development and treatment of cancer, with potential applications including testing new drugs.
Researchers successfully created stem-cell derived organoids from human stem cells that secrete three essential enamel proteins. These proteins form a matrix that undergoes mineralization to create a hardened enamel structure. The breakthrough offers hope for developing novel treatments to repair and regenerate teeth.
Scientists have developed a synthetic extracellular matrix that can support the growth of mini endometria in a dish for at least two weeks. This allows researchers to study its role in healthy and diseased states, such as endometriosis, by extrapolating from patient samples.
Researchers found an abnormal imbalance of excitatory cortical neurons in people with autism spectrum disorder, depending on their head size. The study used human 'mini-brain' models called organoids to recreate the brain development alteration that occurred in patients during fetal development.
Researchers developed AirGels, bioengineered models of human lung tissue, to study airway infections in a more realistic manner. They found that Pseudomonas aeruginosa induces contraction of the host's mucus using type IV pili, contributing to biofilm formation.
The PULSE project combines magnetic and acoustic levitation to bioprint highly sophisticated organoids that closely mimic human organs. These in vitro heart models will provide invaluable insights into cardiac physiology and pathology, enabling the development of preventive and therapeutic solutions.
A new Northwestern Medicine study has furthered the understanding of metabolic pathways underlying organ development, specifically eye development. The research found that aerobic glycolysis and production of lactate regulate critical genes required for early eye development.
Scientists have created human brain organoids free of animal cells, which could greatly improve the study and treatment of neurodegenerative conditions. The novel method uses an engineered extracellular matrix to support stem cell growth, resulting in more accurate models of brain development.
Researchers at Max Delbrück Center developed a new model of the brain using human stem cells, which showed promise in treating HSV-1 induced encephalitis. By combining an anti-viral with an anti-inflammatory drug, they were able to prevent tissue damage and promote recovery.
The Hotchkiss Brain Institute will recruit and train emerging neuroscience research leaders to improve brain and mental health globally. Dr. Deepika Dogra's innovative method screens anti-seizure drugs for children using cerebral organoids.
The USC Stem Cell team is developing artificial kidney organoids using human stem cells and synthetic biology. They aim to create a functional kidney that resembles the real thing in function but not in form.
Researchers achieve 3D printing within mini-organs growing in hydrogels, allowing for precise control over shape, activity, and tissue growth. This breakthrough enables the creation of realistic models of organs and disease, with potential applications in cancer research and treatment.
Scientists have successfully converted human pluripotent stem cells into purified pituitary cells that secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), a hormone normally produced by the pituitary gland. Transplantation of these cells into mice with hypopituitarism resulted in long-lasting improvement in ACTH levels.