Organoids, Assembloids and Organ-on-a-Chip Systems for Transformative Drug Development

Organoids, assembloids, and organ-on-a-chip technologies represent transformative advances in the fields of drug discovery, precision medicine, and regenerative medicine. These three-dimensional, biomimetic models enable researchers to recreate the intricate architecture, physiological responses, and disease phenotypes of human tissues in vitro—offering significant improvements over traditional animal and two-dimensional cell culture models. Recent studies confirm that organoids and microphysiological systems can predict drug efficacy and toxicity more accurately and enable the personalization of therapeutic strategies, especially in complex diseases such as cancer. However, despite their promise, several key challenges hamper their seamless integration into clinical pipelines. Critical limitations remain concerning the scalability and automation of culture systems, high-content imaging and quantification, and achieving robust standardization. Furthermore, batch-to-batch variability and ensuring functional and structural consistency continue to provoke debate and active research within the scientific community.This Research Topic aims to accelerate the translation of organoid, assembloid, and organ-on-a-chip models from advanced laboratory tools to clinically relevant platforms in drug development. The primary objectives are to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across materials science, engineering, computational biology, and clinical medicine, and to delineate technical and methodological strategies that enhance reproducibility, throughput, and model fidelity. We seek contributions that investigate solutions for overcoming technological hurdles, developing standardized protocols, and integrating computational and engineering innovations to bridge laboratory discoveries with patient care. In particular, we encourage research that illuminates how high-throughput systems, advanced analytics, and automation can facilitate the adoption of these models in both preclinical and clinical contexts.This Research Topic welcomes work that addresses the full spectrum of scientific, technical, and translational challenges associated with next-generation in vitro models. While the focus is on the improvement and clinical translation of three-dimensional platforms, we also invite cross-disciplinary perspectives and practical methodologies relevant to the field. To gather further insights in this rapidly evolving area, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Design and fabrication of advanced organoid, assembloid, and organ-on-a-chip platforms- Integration of high-throughput and automated culture and drug screening technologies- Novel biomaterials and engineering approaches for improved tissue modeling- Strategies for reducing batch-to-batch variability and achieving standardization across workflows- Computational modeling, machine learning, and artificial intelligence applications to organoid research- Applications in disease modeling, drug screening, and regenerative medicine- Methodological best practices to enhance reproducibility and facilitate clinical translationResearchers from all disciplines, especially those engaged in collaborative and interdisciplinary initiatives, are encouraged to contribute original research, reviews, methods, perspectives, and opinion articles. Topic editors: Hongbo Zhang, Dr. Kushneet Kaur Sodhi Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77393/organoids-assembloids-and-organ-on-a-chip-systems-for-transformative-drug-development