Applications and research trends in organoid based infectious disease models

Recently, three-dimensional (3D) cell culture technology has been developing rapidly, and disease-specific organoid models that can simulate human diseases are being developed. These models are being studied as a valuable tool that can be applied to pathogen biology research and drug screening analysis platforms to obtain fast, reliable, and reproducible results. Organoids are 3D cell aggregates formed from embryonic stem cells (ESCs), adult stem cells (ASCs), or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) through self-renewal and self-organization. They are also called mini-organs and have a structure and function similar to those of real organs, providing a more physiologically relevant model compared to traditional 2D cultures. In particular, due to the recent epidemics of infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), many studies are using organoids for infectious disease research, enabling more accurate pathogen-host interaction modeling. In this review, we briefly introduce organoids and discuss research trends in developing organoid-based models of infectious diseases, focusing on organoids derived from the brain, liver, intestines, lung, kidney, skin, and blood vessels. These models hold significant potential for advancing our understanding of disease mechanisms and therapeutic development.