Abstract

The discovery of adult stem cells in human epithelia such as the intestine and liver enabled the development of mini-organs in a dish – or HUB Organoids® - from both normal and diseased tissue that mimic the original organ genetics and phenotype while recapitulating its specialised physiological function. Thanks to advancements in 3D culture technology, HUB Organoids can be expanded and propagated in the lab virtually indefinitely without compromising their identity. Over time, organoids have shown their potential to study the biology of cancer and genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis. The high correlation between in vitro response and clinical outcome confirmed the predictive power of HUB Organoids, whereas the feasibility of accelerating a candidate compound to clinical trials within five years was demonstrated by a recent publication. HUB has pioneered organoid model development and the optimization of in vitro assays that can be applied to investigate disease biology and perform drug screenings. More recently, HUB has extended the use of Organoid Technology for modelling inflammatory conditions such as IBD or COPD. In her presentation, Dr Sylvia Boj, HUB CSO, will discuss the development of a living Organoid biobank from COPD patients that reproduces some of the pathophysiology of the diseases, providing a new patient-relevant, in vitro platform for drug screening and development for inflammatory diseases.