Lab-grown mini human organs may play key role in COVID-19 drug development: Scientists

An emerging technique that uses lab-grown tiny human organs to study viral diseases can accelerate research on the novel coronavirus, and pave the way for new COVID-19 therapies, leading scientists say.

"Organoids, are lab-grown organs, which closely resemble human tissues that are relevant for disease, Josef Penninger, Director, Life Science Institute at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada, told PTI.

In these human organ-like structures, Penninger said, scientists are beginning to perform more experiments to explore how the SARS-CoV-2 virus replicates in hosts, or even test vaccines and drugs against COVID-19.

Cultured from undifferentiated cells in the human body called stem cells, he said, these tiny organs contain cells which are also present in a "real" human organ.

For instance, organoids of blood vessels are perfect mini versions of the vascular tissue, made up of an empty cavity, cells that stabilise it, and a membrane wrapped around and keeping it all together,