Establishment of porcine and monkey colonic organoids for drug toxicity study

Pig and monkey are widely used models for exploration of human diseases and evaluation of drug efficiency and toxicity, but high cost limits their uses. Organoids have been shown to be promising models for drug test as they reasonably preserve tissue structure and functions. However, colonic organoids of pig and monkey are not yet established. Here, we report a culture medium to support the growth of porcine and monkey colonic organoids. Wnt signaling and PGE2 are important for long-term expansion of the organoids, and their withdrawal results in lineage differentiation to mature cells. Furthermore, we observe that porcine colonic organoids are closer to human colonic organoids in terms of drug toxicity response. Successful establishment of porcine and monkey colonic organoids would facilitate the mechanistic investigation of the homeostatic regulation of the intestine of these animals and is useful for drug development and toxicity studies.

The Development and Commercialization of Medical Technologies

It is not uncommon for physicians to think of ways to improve the delivery of care, which may take the form of a new medical device, drug, test, or service. In recent years, structured approaches to the identification of unmet needs and the development of solutions have been introduced to the medical community. Yet, due to gaps in exposure and training, there remains an opportunity to improve the level of understanding within the medical community regarding how to develop an innovation, once conceived, to the point of commercialization. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to provide an overview of some of the relevant considerations and requirements when bringing an idea for a new medical technology to market.