Breast organoids: A paradigm shift from disease models to living pharmacies
Organoid technology has garnered significant attention for its ability to closely recapitulate the structure and function of parental tissues in vitro. Over the past decade, this technology has primarily served as a passive disease model widely applied in drug screening and precision medicine. Transforming these static in vitro models into dynamic therapeutic tools remains a critical bottleneck in the field. Bridging this gap requires shifting from merely simulating diseases to actively repairing tissues. Recently, a groundbreaking study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering introduced an innovative “living pharmacy” strategy—engineered organoids that function as autonomous, implantable drug factories capable of sustained local drug production and tissue regeneration—using engineered breast organoids. This approach transcends previous limitations and offers a promising solution for postoperative breast cancer treatment and breast function regeneration.
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