Organoid technology in female reproductive biomedicine

Abstract

Recent developments in organoid technology are revolutionizing our knowledge about the biology, physiology, and function of various organs. Female reproductive biology and medicine also benefit from this technology. Organoids recapitulate features of different reproductive organs including the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries, as well as trophoblasts. The genetic stability of organoids and long-lasting commitment to their tissue of origin during long-term culture makes them attractive substitutes for animal and in vitro models. Despite current limitations, organoids offer a promising platform to address fundamental questions regarding the reproductive system's physiology and pathology. They provide a human source to harness stem cells for regenerative medicine, heal damaged epithelia in specific diseases, and study biological processes in healthy and pathological conditions. The combination of male and female reproductive organoids with other technologies, such as microfluidics technology, would enable scientists to create a multi-organoid-on-a-chip platform for the next step to human-on-a-chip platforms for clinical applications, drug discovery, and toxicology studies. The present review discusses recent advances in producing organoid models of reproductive organs and highlights their applications, as well as technical challenges and future directions.

Historical evolution of spheroids and organoids, and possibilities of use in life sciences and medicine

“…The use of organoids of reproductive organs provides a facility for understanding the physiology, pathologies, and disorders, and to investigate treatments and interventions. [105]…”

Role of Lipid Metabolism and Signaling in Mammalian Oocyte Maturation, Quality, and Acquisition of Competence

“…This organoid technology is recently being used to study clinical applications, toxicology studies and drug discoveries ( Xiao et al, 2017 ; Mancini and Pensabene, 2019 ). The use of microfluidics technology has already enabled researchers to study organ-on-chip that may lead to create multi-organoid-on-a chip plate form and even human-on-a-chip plate form ( Heidari-Khoei et al, 2020 ). Thus, in future, it may become a powerful tool for the understanding and exploration of lipid metabolism of oocytes and their microenvironment.…”

Tissue Chips and Microphysiological Systems for Disease Modeling and Drug Testing

“…Essential design considerations in the development of TC models of each organ/tissue are examined, and current efforts and past successes in TC models’ development are summarized. While this review focuses on the heart, vasculature, liver, and kidneys, more information on other organ systems can be found in the following excellent articles focused on the brain [ 6 ], lungs [ 7 ], GI system [ 8 ], pancreas [ 9 ], and reproductive system [ 10 ]. Additionally, the following review articles also provide comprehensive overviews of TCs and their use in drug testing [ 11 , 12 ] and disease modeling [ 13 ].…”