A narrative review of organoids for investigating organ aging: opportunities and challenges

Abstract

Aging research has shifted from studying phenotypes to studying in-depth mechanisms in recent decades. However, extrapolating cellular and molecular bases of aging from studying traditional model systems to humans has been challenging. The advent of organoids holds promise for overcoming the limitations of monolayer cell culture and bridging the gap between animal models and humans. Here, we mainly discuss recent paradigms for using organoid models in studying organ aging. Pluripotent stem cells–derived organoid provides a promising platform for simulating the pathophysiology of several aging-related diseases, especially neurodegenerative diseases, and adult stem cells organoids derived from different age groups have been applied to detect aging-related functional changes. We also assess the value of organoid model systems in understanding human aging and aging-related diseases, and identify challenges to be addressed in the future, such as the immaturity of organoids, and effective methods of inducing aging.