Synthetic organogenesis: the role of blood vessels in orchestrating the development and morphogenesis of ectopic miniorgans (iBOF/21/083)

Regenerative medicine aims to trigger endogenous or transplanted cells to rebuild defective organs. However, despite significant advances, current stem cell and organoid technologies face major hurdles because transplanted cells generally do not mature and properly integrate into the host organ. We recently discovered a new approach to generate miniorgans in mice with much higher complexity than was previously possible. These miniorgans are multicellular and well- organized superstructures that contain all major cell types normally present in a particular organ and can functionally integrate into a host tissue.

We aim to elucidate the molecular and mechanical signals that orchestrate miniorgan morphogenesis and to recapitulate miniorgan formation in vitro. We expect that our findings will provide groundbreaking information on how to engineer miniorgans for regenerative medicine, drug development, and stem cell research.

Keywords:Synthetic biology, Morphogenesis, Blood vessels, Organoid, Cell mechanical forces, Blood

Disciplines:Molecular and cellular biomechanics, Tissue engineering, Organ engineering