The endocrine system plays a major role in balancing the body's physiological conditions through hormones. Endocrine disorders such as endocrine cancer, diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, acromegaly, and polycystic ovary syndrome cause serious problems in patients. Most common endocrine cancers originate from the adrenal gland, neuroendocrine, parathyroid, thyroid, pancreas, ovary, and pituitary. Among these, thyroid cancer is the fifth most common cancer in women in the United States. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the US. Ovarian cancer accounts for the highest number of deaths caused due to the female reproductive system compared to any other cancer death in women. Pancreatic cancer accounts for 7% of all cancer deaths, and the 5-year survival rate is only 10%. The patients' survival rates are mainly depending on many factors such as the stage of the disease and early detection. Viral infections such as SARS-CoV-2 were also reported to impact endocrine organs. Since the endocrine system plays a major role in balancing body physiological conditions through hormones, both benign and metastatic endocrine tumors cause serious problems in patients.
The use of conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell lines and xenograft models has many drawbacks as they do not resemble the genetic and histological aspects of human tumors or other disorders. Although genetically engineered mouse models have similar histology, they are expensive, time-consuming, and technically demanding. Hence, there is a need for the development of in vitro model system that can successfully recapitulate human tumor histology and genetics. Organoids originating from pluripotent stem cells or tissue progenitor stem cells have 3D organizational structures. Organoids are the clonal outgrowths of the parental cells in vitro culture system with the support of extracellular matrix such as Matrigel. Organoids retain the native tissue structure as they contain multiple cell types with similar cell arrangements and cell-to-cell interactions. Patient-derived organoids are the new therapeutic tools for the development of personalized medicines.
Patient-derived organoids are a new revolution in drug discovery and development as the process is faster and more effective compared to animal models. The organoid cultures system can produce a limitless supply of patient tissue, and hence possible to do large-scale research focusing on early-stage tumorigenesis of endocrine cancers, drug screening, and drug development. Furthermore, combining the biobanking of patient-derived organoid systems with cutting-edge technologies such as next-generation single-cell analysis, CRISPR gene editing, transcriptomics, proteomics, epigenome, and metabolome analysis platforms have the tremendous power to substantially impact treating endocrine disorders. Although endocrine organoids have huge benefits, the research to generate endocrine organoids is at a slow phase. This topic can give detailed information to scientists involved in endocrine studies. Moreover, organoids can also help in the study of other disorders of endocrine systems. Patient-derived organoids can revolutionize personalized treatment.
The areas to be covered in this research topic may include, but are not limited to:
1. Methodology for development and culture of embryonic, patient, and mouse-derived endocrine organoids;
2. Cancer progression studies using endocrine organoids;
3. Patient-derived endocrine organoids for personalized medicine and drug development;
4. Use of endocrine organoids in the study of the effect of viral infection on endocrine;
5. Study of other endocrine disorders using endocrine organoids.
We welcome original research articles, methods, review articles, commentaries, and perspectives.
The endocrine system plays a major role in balancing the body's physiological conditions through hormones. Endocrine disorders such as endocrine cancer, diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, acromegaly, and polycystic ovary syndrome cause serious problems in patients. Most common endocrine cancers originate from the adrenal gland, neuroendocrine, parathyroid, thyroid, pancreas, ovary, and pituitary. Among these, thyroid cancer is the fifth most common cancer in women in the United States. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the US. Ovarian cancer accounts for the highest number of deaths caused due to the female reproductive system compared to any other cancer death in women. Pancreatic cancer accounts for 7% of all cancer deaths, and the 5-year survival rate is only 10%. The patients' survival rates are mainly depending on many factors such as the stage of the disease and early detection. Viral infections such as SARS-CoV-2 were also reported to impact endocrine organs. Since the endocrine system plays a major role in balancing body physiological conditions through hormones, both benign and metastatic endocrine tumors cause serious problems in patients.
The use of conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell lines and xenograft models has many drawbacks as they do not resemble the genetic and histological aspects of human tumors or other disorders. Although genetically engineered mouse models have similar histology, they are expensive, time-consuming, and technically demanding. Hence, there is a need for the development of in vitro model system that can successfully recapitulate human tumor histology and genetics. Organoids originating from pluripotent stem cells or tissue progenitor stem cells have 3D organizational structures. Organoids are the clonal outgrowths of the parental cells in vitro culture system with the support of extracellular matrix such as Matrigel. Organoids retain the native tissue structure as they contain multiple cell types with similar cell arrangements and cell-to-cell interactions. Patient-derived organoids are the new therapeutic tools for the development of personalized medicines.
Patient-derived organoids are a new revolution in drug discovery and development as the process is faster and more effective compared to animal models. The organoid cultures system can produce a limitless supply of patient tissue, and hence possible to do large-scale research focusing on early-stage tumorigenesis of endocrine cancers, drug screening, and drug development. Furthermore, combining the biobanking of patient-derived organoid systems with cutting-edge technologies such as next-generation single-cell analysis, CRISPR gene editing, transcriptomics, proteomics, epigenome, and metabolome analysis platforms have the tremendous power to substantially impact treating endocrine disorders. Although endocrine organoids have huge benefits, the research to generate endocrine organoids is at a slow phase. This topic can give detailed information to scientists involved in endocrine studies. Moreover, organoids can also help in the study of other disorders of endocrine systems. Patient-derived organoids can revolutionize personalized treatment.
The areas to be covered in this research topic may include, but are not limited to:
1. Methodology for development and culture of embryonic, patient, and mouse-derived endocrine organoids;
2. Cancer progression studies using endocrine organoids;
3. Patient-derived endocrine organoids for personalized medicine and drug development;
4. Use of endocrine organoids in the study of the effect of viral infection on endocrine;
5. Study of other endocrine disorders using endocrine organoids.
We welcome original research articles, methods, review articles, commentaries, and perspectives.