Lgr5 marks stem cells in digestive epithelial tissues by lineage tracing, and in vitro ever-expansion of Lgr5 stem cells form organoids, which can be directed to differentiate into functional somatic cells. Organoids derived from gastrointestinal epithelium even recapitulate the morphologic features of their in vivo counterpart. Culture conditions are also modified to establish cancer organoids from individual patients. With great genetic stability during derivation and expansion, organoids retain either single mutation in patients with inherited disease or multiple mutations of cancer tissues. Together with efficient gene-editing protocol, organoids are emerging as powerful in vitro disease models.
Keywords: Lgr5; R-spondin; organoids; paneth cells.
© 2016 Chinese Medical Association Shanghai Branch, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.