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REVIEW ARTICLE

Organoid research breakthroughs in 2024: A review

Jian Wang1,2,3,4,5 ,  Zhidao Xia6* ,  Jiacan Su1,2,3,4,5*
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1 Department of Orthopedics, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
2 Trauma Orthopedics Center, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
3 Institute of Musculoskeletal Injury and Translational Medicine of Organoids, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
4 Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
5 National Center for Translational Medicine SHU Branch, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
6 Institute of Life Science, College of Medicine, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, United Kingdom
OR 2025, 1(2), 025040005 https://doi.org/10.36922/OR025040005
Submitted: 23 January 2025 | Revised: 27 February 2025 | Accepted: 19 March 2025 | Published: 17 April 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Organoid research has experienced significant advancements in 2024, revolutionizing the fields of disease modeling, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine. Key innovations include the refinement of culture protocols for generating more physiologically relevant organoids derived from a wide range of human tissues, facilitated by improved differentiation protocols for induced pluripotent stem cells and adult stem cells. These advancements have led to organoids that better mimic in vivo tissue architecture and function, making them more suitable for studying complex diseases. The integration of microfluidics and biomaterial scaffolds into organoid cultures has further enhanced the replication of organ-specific microenvironments. In addition, the application of cutting-edge genomic tools, such as CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, single-cell RNA sequencing, and high-throughput screening, has enabled the generation of organoid models with precise genetic mutations, facilitating the exploration of disease mechanisms and the screening of therapeutic agents. Artificial intelligence and machine learning have played a pivotal role in analyzing organoid data, enabling high-throughput screening and the development of personalized treatment strategies. While challenges remain in scalability, reproducibility, and vascularization, the innovations made in 2024 have set the stage for future clinical applications of organoid technologies, offering new possibilities for personalized medicine, drug development, and regenerative therapies.

Keywords
Organoids
Induced pluripotent stem cells
Disease modelling
Drug discovery
Biomaterials
Funding
The authors acknowledge the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82230071, 82172098, 82427809), Shanghai Committee of Science and Technology (23141900600, Laboratory Animal Research Project), and Shanghai Clinical Research Plan of SHDC2023CRT01.
Conflict of interest
Prof. Jiacan Su is the Editor-in-Chief of this journal but was not in any way involved in the editorial and peer-review process conducted for this paper, directly or indirectly. Separately, other authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.
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