The program was consisted of expert presentations and follow-up discussions addressing different organoid systems and their use in biomedical research and development. Ana Ivonne Vazquez-Armendariz, Life and Medical Sciences Institute, and Florian Gohr, Institute of Innate Immunology, from the University of Bonn shared their hands-on experience in complex pulmonary disease modeling and inflammasome research using organoids, respectively. The range of topics was expanded further into in vitro models like spheroids by two experts from the University of Düsseldorf. Ellen Fritsche, Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine elaborated the use and engineering of human cell-based cultures suitable for neurotoxicity studies. Besides, Nicole Teusch, Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, presented in vitro models of pancreatic cancer to identify novel therapies. As a keynote talk, the advancement of in vitro systems mimicking organs in health and disease for drug discovery was given by the senior scientist Roxana Micsik, STEMCELL Technologies, bringing in the application of organoids as a method of replacement in industrial scale.
The audience met with the experts during the lunch buffet and the get-together session to further connect and exchange on the topic. Florian Gohr emphasized the importance of organoids as a method for replacement by “Organoids offer new opportunities for research, as they combine several advantages of in vivo and in vitro models. Therefore, there is growing interest in organoids and related technologies.” Touching on the event, he continued “The 3R symposium gave interested researchers from NRW a chance to learn more about organoids and their applications, and hopefully inspired more scientists to utilize organoids in the future.” Nicole Teusch reiterated the role of the network within the regional research landscape by “The 3R network allows a transdisciplinary regional scientific exchange fostering new collaborations.”
We would like to thank first of all to our invited experts for sharing their knowledge and showing the power of organoids as an alternative to animal research. We are also thankful to the local research community for their great engagement. Lastly, we would like to thank Mrs. Becker, Department of Pathology, at the Venusberg Campus for her organizational support.