Intestinal organoids in farm animals

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Gastroenterology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• The intestinal epithelium is crucial for nutrition and barrier function in livestock.
• Limited in vitro models have historically hindered research on farm animal intestinal epithelium.
• Recent advancements have enabled the development of livestock intestinal organoids.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review methods for generating and cryopreserving farm animal intestinal organoids.
• To present the phenotypes and stability of these organoids.
• To discuss current and future applications in agricultural, veterinary, and biomedical sciences.

Main Methods:

• Isolation of intestinal epithelial stem cells from farm animals.
• Culture of stem cells in a 3D environment mimicking the stem cell niche.
• Characterization of organoid structure, phenotype, and stability over time.

Main Results:

• Livestock intestinal organoids are rapidly generated and contain diverse differentiated epithelial cells.
• Organoids maintain stable phenotypes reflecting the origin segment and can be cryopreserved.
• These models have been successfully applied to study host-microbe interactions, infections, nutrient absorption, and more.

Conclusions:

• Farm animal intestinal organoids provide a valuable, reproducible, and ethical in vitro system.
• Further refinement is needed to incorporate non-epithelial cells and microbiota for greater complexity.
• Harmonization of culture methods will enhance the reliability and applicability of these models.