Translational advances in organoids and organ-on-a-chip: Scientific and industrial innovations for modeling organ development and pathology

The field of in vitro modeling of organogenesis and disease has witnessed remarkable progress due to innovations in stem cell technology, gene editing, and advanced 3D cell culture platforms. The transition from traditional two-dimensional models to three-dimensional organoids and organ-on-a-chip (OoC) systems has revolutionized our capacity to recapitulate human tissue architecture and function. However, capturing the complexity of physiological microenvironments continues to be a significant challenge. Current research focuses on overcoming these limitations by engineering more intricate cellular interactions, integrating vascular and neural components, and achieving higher fidelity in model maturation and functionality. While academic research has yielded key insights, ongoing debates persist concerning reproducibility, scalability, and clinical translation.

Recent studies have shown impressive advancements, with organoids recapitulating aspects of tissue-specific development, and OoC models incorporating fluidic dynamics and extracellular matrix cues to better mimic organ-level processes. These platforms have enabled modeling of complex human diseases, high-throughput drug screening, and toxicity testing with increasing accuracy. Yet, substantial barriers remain for widespread adoption and regulatory approval, notably the need for standardized protocols, robust readouts, and validation against clinical outcomes. Industry engagement is emerging as a critical factor in addressing these hurdles, fostering the optimization, scaling, and regulatory acceptance of these technologies for therapeutic and commercial use.

This Research Topic aims to bring together pioneering academic and industrial contributions that advance the development and application of organoids and OoC technologies for modeling human organogenesis, physiology, and disease. Emphasis will be placed on innovative solutions to create physiologically relevant models, strategies for improving reproducibility and scalability, and approaches for translating scientific discoveries into industrial practices. Additionally, the Research Topic seeks to highlight the value of collaborative efforts between researchers and industry partners in accelerating the adoption of these platforms for preclinical testing, drug development, and regenerative medicine.

To gather further insights in both scientific advancement and industry implementation, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

o Partnerships in developmental biology: Joint academic–industry studies on organoid and OoC models of organogenesis

o Engineering, scaling, and standardization of complex tissues: Collaborative innovations for manufacturing and quality control

o Translational disease modeling: Industrial applications of organoid and OoC models for drug development and precision medicine

o Regulatory, commercialization, and ethical considerations: Pathways for adopting new in vitro technologies in industry and healthcare

o Advanced analytical tools: Integrating AI, machine learning, and microscopy with organoid and OoC systems for industrial-scale data and process management

Contributors are welcome to submit original research articles, reviews, perspectives, and method papers.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Keywords: Organoids, Organ-on-a-chip, In vitro disease modeling, Human organogenesis, 3D cell culture, Translational research, Drug development, Precision medicine, Industry–academia collaboration, Standardization and scalability

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.