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Developing a Multidisciplinary Approach for Engineering Stem Cell Organoids

  • Biomaterials - Engineering Cell Behavior
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Abstract

Recent advances in stem cell biology, synthetic biology, bioengineering, and biotechnology have included significant work leading to the development of stem cell-derived organoids. The growing popularity of organoid research and use of organoids is widely due to the fact that these three-dimensional cellular structures better model human physiology compared to traditional in vitro and in vivo methods by recapitulating many biologically relevant parameters. Organoids show great promise for a wide range of applications, such as for use in disease modeling, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine. However, many challenges associated with reproducibility and scale up still remain. Identification of the conditions which generate a robust environment that predictably promotes cellular self-assembly and organization leading to organoid formation is critical and requires a multidisciplinary approach. To accomplish this we need to identify a cellular source, engineer a matrix to stimulate cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions, and provide the biochemical and biophysical cues which mimic that of the in vivo environment. Discussion of the components needed for organoid development and formation is reviewed herein, as well as specific organoid examples and the promise of this research for the future.

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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge support from the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01-EB022025. In addition, N.A.P. acknowledges support from the Cockrell Family Chair Foundation, the Office of the Dean of the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin (UT) for the Institute for Biomaterials, Drug Delivery, and Regenerative Medicine, and the UT-Portugal Collaborative Research Program. During this work, M.E.W. was supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (DGE-1610403).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Marissa E. Wechsler & Nicholas A. Peppas

  2. Institute for Biomaterials, Drug Delivery, and Regenerative Medicine, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Marissa E. Wechsler, Mariya Shevchuk & Nicholas A. Peppas

  3. McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Mariya Shevchuk & Nicholas A. Peppas

  4. Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Nicholas A. Peppas

  5. Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care, and Department of Pediatrics, Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Nicholas A. Peppas

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  1. Marissa E. Wechsler
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Correspondence to Nicholas A. Peppas.

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Wechsler, M.E., Shevchuk, M. & Peppas, N.A. Developing a Multidisciplinary Approach for Engineering Stem Cell Organoids. Ann Biomed Eng 48, 1895–1904 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-019-02391-1

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