Special Issue on Organoids

In vitro organogenesis has exploded onto the stem cell and developmental biology scene. It is now possible to make  miniaturised approximations of many different organs – known as organoids – entirely in vitro, using either pluripotent stem cells or adult tissue stem cells as starting material. Coaxed towards their fate by various signalling molecules and growth factors, these self-organising populations faithfully recapitulate many of the developmental milestones associated with their in vivo counterparts, and can be used to model both developmental and disease processes.

To highlight the terrific progress that is being made in this field, and to draw attention to the enormous potential that organoids hold for understanding developmental and regenerative processes, Development is proud to announce a Special Issue on Organoids.

Prof. Melissa Little – who recently published a spectacular report on growing kidney organoids – will be Guest Editor of the Special Issue, which is scheduled for publication in early 2017. For more information about the Special Issue, including scope, article types and deadlines, click here. You can read an Editorial from Melissa and discover why she’s excited about the emerging organoid field here, or read Catarina Vicente’s “An interview with Melissa Little” here.

Many people share a great enthusiasm for organoid research, especially for how it can be used to study human development. In the video below, Development’s Executive Editor Dr Katherine Brown chats with Dr. Juergen Knoblich, whose report of cerebral organoids (or “minibrains” as they’re known) was heralded as one the major breakthroughs of 2013. In the interview, Juergen talks about why the world was so captivated by his research, whether the minibrains are truly recapitulating development and what the future challenges are for the organoid field.

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