Drug discovery through stem cell-based organoid models

• Published in: Advanced drug delivery reviews Vol. 69-70; pp. 19 - 28
• Main Authors: Ranga, Adrian, Gjorevski, Nikolche, Lutolf, Matthias P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.04.2014
• Subjects: 3D cell culture; Animals; Drug discovery; Drug Discovery - methods; Drug Discovery - trends; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical - methods; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical - trends; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions - diagnosis; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions - prevention & control; High-throughput screening; Humans; Organoid; Organoids - cytology; Organoids - drug effects; Organoids - physiology; Stem cell; Stem Cells - drug effects; Stem Cells - physiology; High-throughput screening; Organoid; 3D cell culture; Drug discovery; Stem cell
• ISSN: 0169-409X; 1872-8294
• DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2014.02.006

The development of new drugs is currently a long and costly process in large part due to the failure of promising drug candidates identified in initial in vitro screens to perform as intended in vivo. New approaches to drug screening are being developed which focus on providing more biomimetic platforms. This review surveys this new generation of drug screening technologies, and provides an overview of recent developments in organoid culture systems which could afford previously unmatched fidelity for testing bioactivity and toxicity. The challenges inherent in such approaches will also be discussed, with a view towards bridging the gap between proof-of-concept studies and a wider implementation within the drug development community. [Display omitted]