Biomaterials and biosensors in intestinal organoid culture, a progress review

As an emerging technology, intestinal organoids are promising new tools for basic and translational research in gastroenterology. Currently, culture of intestinal organoids relies mostly on a type of tumor-derived scaffolds, namely Matrigel, which may pose tumorigenic risks to organoid implantation. Apart from the traditional detection methods, such as tissue slicing and fluorescence staining, the monitoring of intestinal organoids requires real-time biosensors that can adapt to their three-dimensional dynamic growth patterns. In this review, we summarized the recent advances in developing definite hydrogel scaffolds for intestinal organoid culture and identified key parameters for scaffold design. In addition, classified by different substrate compositions like pH, electrolytes, and functional proteins, we concluded the existing live-imaging biosensors and elucidated their underlying mechanisms. We hope this review enhances the understanding of intestinal organoid culture and provides more practical approaches to investigate them.