Organoids, self-organizing 3D mini-tissues derived from stem cells, have become one of the most powerful tools in modern immunology and translational research. Organoids preserve tissue architecture, cellular heterogeneity, signaling gradients, and patient-specific mutations [1]. 
 
Why organoids matter in immunology
Organoids enable: 
• Immune cell co-cultures (T cells, NK cells, macrophages) 
• Controlled modeling of inflammation, immune evasion, and cytokine responses 
• Patient-specific testing of immunotherapies 
• High-throughput immune drug screening 
This makes them especially valuable in cancer immunology. 
 
𝗣𝗜𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗶n: 
• iPSC differentiation 
• organoids/spheroids 
• 3D ALI culture 
• Multi-cell co-cultures (e.g., THP-1 + HUVECs) 
These skills indicate: 
• Multidimensional thinking 
• Comfort with matrix-based culture, growth-factor cocktails, and long-term maintenance 
• Familiarity with heterogeneity, gradient biology, and tissue-level analysis 
• ALI and cell co-cultures build intuition for mechanistic immunology and tissue biology. 
 
Organoids in immuno-oncology:
Tumoroids (patient-derived tumor organoids) are now key to studying: 
• Solid tumor resistance mechanisms 
• Antigen heterogeneity 
• Immune exclusion 
• T-cell exhaustion and stromal barriers 
They enable direct testing of CAR-T or NK cell infiltration and killing in solid tumors, providing a preclinical preview of therapeutic potency and toxicity [2]. 
This is especially critical, as solid tumors require understanding: 
• Extracellular matrix 
• Immunosuppressive cytokines 
• CAF-driven barriers 
• Hypoxia 
 
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀 
Could organoid–immune co-cultures eventually predict cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or therapy-induced toxicity in advance? 
 
German groups leading the field:
DKFZ Heidelberg – tumor organoids and immune co-cultures 
Charité Berlin – infection and mucosal immunity organoids 
Würzburg University – iPSC immunology and cancer organoids 
 
𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 
If you could create one organoid model to study an immune mechanism –  
Which tissue and immune cell type would you combine, and why? 
 
Stay tuned for 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟳7: 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘀 – 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 Immunology
 
𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 
1. DOI: 10.1038/s41568-018-0007-6 
2. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.07.009 
3. DOI: 10.1186/s13619-020-00059-z 
4. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.11.036 
 
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