S Sakib1,2, T Goldsmith1,2, A Voigt2, I Dobrinski1,2. 1. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AL, Canada. 2. Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AL, Canada.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Over the last ten years, three-dimensional organoid culture has garnered renewed interest, as organoids generated from primary cells or stem cells with cell associations and functions similar to organs in vivo can be a powerful tool to study tissue-specific cell-cell interactions in vitro. Very recently, a few interesting approaches have been put forth for generating testicular organoids for studying the germ cell niche microenvironment. AIM: To review different model systems that have been employed to study germ cell biology and testicular cell-cell interactions and discuss how the organoid approach can address some of the shortcomings of those systems. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Testicular organoids that bear architectural and functional similarities to their in vivo counterparts are a powerful model system to study cell-cell interactions in the germ cell niche. Organoids enable studying samples in humans and other large animals where in vivo experiments are not possible, allow modeling of testicular disease and malignancies and may provide a platform to design more precise therapeutic interventions.
BACKGROUND: Over the last ten years, three-dimensional organoid culture has garnered renewed interest, as organoids generated from primary cells or stem cells with cell associations and functions similar to organs in vivo can be a powerful tool to study tissue-specific cell-cell interactions in vitro. Very recently, a few interesting approaches have been put forth for generating testicular organoids for studying the germ cell niche microenvironment. AIM: To review different model systems that have been employed to study germ cell biology and testicular cell-cell interactions and discuss how the organoid approach can address some of the shortcomings of those systems. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Testicular organoids that bear architectural and functional similarities to their in vivo counterparts are a powerful model system to study cell-cell interactions in the germ cell niche. Organoids enable studying samples in humans and other large animals where in vivo experiments are not possible, allow modeling of testicular disease and malignancies and may provide a platform to design more precise therapeutic interventions.
Authors: John P Morgan; Peter F Delnero; Ying Zheng; Scott S Verbridge; Junmei Chen; Michael Craven; Nak Won Choi; Anthony Diaz-Santana; Pouneh Kermani; Barbara Hempstead; José A López; Thomas N Corso; Claudia Fischbach; Abraham D Stroock Journal: Nat Protoc Date: 2013-08-29 Impact factor: 13.491