Immunofluorescent image of human gastric organoid cells.KYLE MCCRACKEN
The human stomach is an intricate, layered structure of epithelia, mucosa, and muscle that produces enzymes, acids, and hormones to regulate digestion and appetite. Cultured stomach cells, and even mouse models, are inadequate systems for studying processes of development and disease. A new technique for growing three-dimensional human stomach tissue in vitro, reported last week (October 29) in Nature, may help to overcome this obstacle.
Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center first developed the method using embryonic stem cells, which took about a month to mature into a functional organ with eight different cell types. But a more useful mini-stomach would originate from an adult patient—this type of lab-grown tissue could eventually be used to patch stomach ulcers or tailor individual treatments.
Surprisingly, the ...
