Organoids in immunological research

TY - JOUR

T1 - Organoids in immunological research

AU - Bar-Ephraim, Yotam E

AU - Kretzschmar, Kai

AU - Clevers, Hans

PY - 2019/12/18

Y1 - 2019/12/18

N2 - Much of our knowledge regarding the interactions between epithelial tissues and the immune system has been gathered from animal models and co-cultures with cell lines. However, unique features of human cells cannot be modelled in mice, and cell lines are often transformed or genetically immortalized. Organoid technology has emerged as a powerful tool to maintain epithelial cells in a near-native state. In this Review, we discuss how organoids are being used in immunological research to understand the role of epithelial cell-immune cell interactions in tissue development and homeostasis, as well as in diseases such as cancer.

AB - Much of our knowledge regarding the interactions between epithelial tissues and the immune system has been gathered from animal models and co-cultures with cell lines. However, unique features of human cells cannot be modelled in mice, and cell lines are often transformed or genetically immortalized. Organoid technology has emerged as a powerful tool to maintain epithelial cells in a near-native state. In this Review, we discuss how organoids are being used in immunological research to understand the role of epithelial cell-immune cell interactions in tissue development and homeostasis, as well as in diseases such as cancer.

U2 - 10.1038/s41577-019-0248-y

DO - 10.1038/s41577-019-0248-y

M3 - Article

C2 - 31853049

SN - 1474-1733

JO - Nature Reviews Immunology

JF - Nature Reviews Immunology

ER -