Lab-grown tumours predict treatment outcomes in landmark study
From Walter and Eliza Hall Institute 06/02/24 Researchers have grown tumours in the lab to accurately predict what drugs will work for people with bowel cancer – before they begin treatment. The world-first study led by WEHI (based in Melbourne, Australia) found drug testing on tumour organoids – 3D cancer models grown from a patient’s […]
Producing tears in a dish: researchers develop first model of human conjunctiva
From Hubrecht Institute 16/01/24 The Organoid group at the Hubrecht Institute produced the first organoid model of the human conjunctiva. These organoids mimic the function of the actual human conjunctiva, a tissue involved in tear production. Using their new model, the researchers discovered a new cell type in this tissue: tuft cells. The tuft cells […]
Lab-grown retinas explain why people see colors dogs can’t
From Johns Hopkins University 12/01/24 With human retinas grown in a petri dish, researchers discovered how an offshoot of vitamin A generates the specialized cells that enable people to see millions of colors, an ability that dogs, cats, and other mammals do not possess. “These retinal organoids allowed us for the first time to study […]