Role of human gastrointestinal organoids in discovery and translational medicine

In this chapter, we have compiled a selection of exemplary studies to provide the reader with insights on the current use of human-derived organoids in the biomedical field and their perspective application as more is learned about them. Organoids derived from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, allow designing tailored personalized treatments since they carry both the genetic and epigenetic makeup of the tissue of origin, whereas induced pluripotent stem cells can be used to generate organoids to study unique genetic mutations without the need for invasive intestinal biopsies. Research conducted on human organoids provides a novel perspective on what we have previously learned on the pathophysiology of diseases, including enteropathogens and protozoa infections, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Furthermore, they allow the development of physiologically relevant organotypic coculture models that incorporate different cell lineages, including epithelium, immune, mesenchymal, vascular cells, and microbiota to reproduce the complexity of the GI micromilieu. Finally, considerations are offered on the ethical implications regarding the growing number of living biobanks of human organoids and the need for worldwide harmonized regulations that protect the individuals’ privacy without hindering scientific progress in using this new powerful tool.