Editors: Interdisciplinary Research Group Gene Technology Report of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW) and the German Stem Cell Network (GSCN)

White Paper: State of research, core statements and political recommendations for action on organoid technology (2020)

Berlin, October 2020 (brochure)

Despite its close ties to stem cell research, organoid research in Germany has barely been aware in public consciousness. To date, discussion of this issue in German speaking countries has been predominantly confined to the scientific community. Organoids are three-dimensional cellular structures grown from stem cells in vitro. They mimic bodily organs, exhibiting similar cellular compositions and functions. Organoids can be used for basic research and offer great promise for medical research in an extremely wide range of fields, such as drug screening, toxicity tests, and individual drug-response. Through this White Paper, the Interdisciplinary Research Group (IAG) Gene Technology Report of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW) and the German Stem Cell Network (GSCN) hope to raise public awareness of this research field and stimulate an interdisciplinary public debate on organoids.

The White Paper is available online in English language (here) and in German language (here).

Editors: Sina Bartfeld, Cantas Alev and Bon-Kyoung Koo

Special Issue „3D Organoids“ 

Journal of Molecular Medicine 9 (4), April 2021 (open access)

ISSN: 09462716

In this special issue, published in the Journal of Molecular Medicine, we have tried to cover the major relevant aspects related to this emerging field of research, not only highlighting the frontier areas of organoid technology but also discussing pressing ethical and societal issues. Access the complete Special Issue here.