Testicular organoids: a new model to study the testicular microenvironment in vitro?

AbstractBACKGROUNDIn recent decades, a broad range of strategies have been applied to model the testicular microenvironmentin vitro. These models have been utilized to study testicular physiology and development. However, a system that allows investigations into testicular organogenesis and its impact in the spermatogonial stem-cell (SSC) nichein vitro has not been developed yet. Recently, the creation of tissue-specific organ-like structures called organoids has resurged, helping researchers to answer scientific questions that previousin vitro models could not help to elucidate. So far, a small number of publications have concerned the generation of testicular organoids and their application in the field of reproductive medicine and biology.OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALEHere, we aim to elucidate whether testicular organoids might be useful in answering current scientific questions about the regulation and function of the SSC niche as well as germ cell proliferation and differentiation, and whether or not the existingin vitro models are already sufficient to address them. Moreover, we would like to discuss how an organoid system can be a better solution to address these prominent scientific problems in our field, by the creation of a rationale parallel to those in other areas where organoid systems have been successfully utilized.SEARCH METHODSWe comprehensively reviewed publications regarding testicular organoids and the methods that most closely led to the formation of these organ...
Source: Human Reproduction Update - Category: OBGYN Source Type: research