Organoidok

Organoidok, or organoids, are three-dimensional, self-organizing tissue cultures derived from stem cells that recapitulate key aspects of an organ's architecture and function in vitro. The term combines "organ" with the diminutive -oid. Organoids can arise from pluripotent stem cells, such as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) or embryonic stem cells, or from adult stem cells isolated from tissues. In culture, cells are embedded in an extracellular matrix substitute, commonly Matrigel, and guided by defined growth factors to undergo spatially organized differentiation, forming multiple cell types and lumen-like structures that resemble the real organ.

Common organoid types include intestinal, cerebral, hepatic, renal, pancreatic, lung, gastric, and retinal organoids. Cerebral organoids model aspects of brain development and neurological disorders, whereas intestinal organoids emulate the intestinal epithelium and crypt-villus architecture. Organoids are used in disease modeling, drug screening, and toxicity testing, and hold potential for regenerative medicine and personalized therapy, where a patient-derived organoid can reflect individual genetic and epigenetic backgrounds.

Despite advances, organoids have limitations. They often lack mature vascular and immune components, lack full organ-scale physiology, and exhibit batch-to-batch variability and limited long-term stability. Ethical considerations arise for brain organoids and the use of human genetic material. Ongoing research aims to improve maturation, vascularization, and standardized production to broaden clinical and research applications.