Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2024, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (1): 113-120.doi: 10.12307/2023.921

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Construction methods and application of assembloids

Liu Chunlei1, 2, 3, Yao Xi1, 3, Wei Zhengbo2, 3, Xie Ying1, 3   

  1. 1Life Science Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China; 2Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China; 3Guangxi Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment for Regional High Frequency Tumor, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
  • Received:2023-01-06 Accepted:2023-02-18 Online:2024-01-08 Published:2023-06-29
  • Contact: Xie Ying, PhD, Professor, Life Science Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment for Regional High Frequency Tumor, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
  • About author:Liu Chunlei, Master candidate, Life Science Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China; Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment for Regional High Frequency Tumor, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China Yao Xi, Master, Life Science Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment for Regional High Frequency Tumor, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
  • Supported by:
    the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82160386 (to XY); General Project of Guangxi Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 2021GXNSFAA075042 (to XY)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: In recent years, many studies have confirmed that assembloids can make up for the shortcomings of organoids, which cannot fully reproduce the interaction between cell and cell and between cell and matrix. Since the assembloids construction methods are in the early stage of development, there is no unified standard. 
OBJECTIVE: To review the current construction methods, applications, advantages, and disadvantages of assembloids, guide the development and improvement of vitro cell models.
METHODS: PubMed, CNKI, and WanFang databases were searched with English search terms “assembloids, organoids, tumor microenvironment, organoids AND assemble, organoids AND microenvironment” and Chinese search terms “assembloids, organoids, tumor microenvironment, organoid reorganization, multicellular model”. Totally 94 articles were screened out for review after excluding irrelevant articles and deduplication. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) According to the different sources of cells, the construction of assembloids can be divided into three methods: self-assembly, direct-assembly, and mixed-assembly. According to the differences of cell culture methods, it can be divided into suspension culture method, matrix culture method, organ chip culture method, and 3D bio-printing. (2) The process of self-assembly covers early stages of cell and tissue development, so it has broad prospects in the fields of organ development and developmental disorders. The function of differentiated mature cells is relatively perfect, and the assembloids directly assembled by them have more potential in the study of functional disorders and cell-damaging diseases. Self-assembly may be better in organ transplantation, and direct-assembly will be more suitable for the repair of tissue damage. Mixed-assembly combines the advantages of the former two and is mostly used to explore the physiological and pathological mechanisms of cells in the microenvironment, as well as drug screening. (3) Although different assembloids have their own advantages, they all face the problem of imperfect vasculature system, then, each method has its own limitations, for example, the degree of cell differentiation in self-assembly assembloids may still be different from that in vivo, and the fixed cell types in direct-assembly models cannot simulate complex microenvironments in vivo. These are urgent problems to be solved. (4) In the future, with the continuous improvement of assembloids culture technology, scientists can assemble biomimetic organoids with more complex tissues in vitro, providing infinitely realistic models for the study of physiological and pathological processes of human tissue and organ.

Key words: assembloids, organoids, self-assembly, direct-assembly, mixed-assembly, suspension culture, matrix culture, organ chip, 3D printing, tumor microenvironment

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