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Updated: Jun 29, 2026
06:34
Generation of hiPSC-Derived Intestinal Organoids for Developmental and Disease Modelling Applications
Published on: March 8, 2024
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Generation of Intestinal and Colonic Organoids Derived From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
Lola Bonneau1, Lisa Brossard1, Theo Noël1
1Nantes Université, CHU Nantes, Inserm, TENS, The Enteric Nervous System in Gut and Brain Diseases, IMAD, Nantes, France.
Biology of the Cell
|December 12, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a method to create human intestinal organoids (HIOs) and human colonic organoids (HCOs) from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). These organoids mimic fetal gut development for studying gastrointestinal formation and disease modeling.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Stem Cell Research
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Understanding human gastrointestinal development is crucial.
- Organoids are advanced 3D in vitro models that mimic in vivo organ structure and function.
- Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) offer a valuable source for generating specific cell types and tissues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To outline a protocol for generating human intestinal organoids (HIOs) and human colonic organoids (HCOs) from hPSCs.
- To demonstrate that these organoids replicate key developmental stages of the human gastrointestinal tract.
- To provide a model system for studying human gut development, diseases, and therapeutics.
Main Methods:
- Induction of definitive endoderm formation from hPSCs.
- Specification of midgut/hindgut tissues.
- Culture of 3D spheroids in an extracellular matrix to promote epithelial development and mesenchymal support, leading to organoid maturation.
Main Results:
- Spontaneous formation of 3D spheroids that develop into organoids with distinct epithelial and mesenchymal layers.
- HIOs and HCOs achieve a developmental and maturation stage comparable to the human fetal intestine after one month of culture.
- Successful generation of two distinct organoid types mimicking intestinal and colonic tissues.
Conclusions:
- This protocol provides a reliable method for generating HIOs and HCOs from hPSCs.
- These organoids serve as powerful experimental models for investigating human gastrointestinal development and pathophysiology.
- The generated organoids are suitable for disease modeling and preclinical therapeutic testing.
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