On Thursday, November 21, 2024, the ORCAU Annual Symposium brought together top and upcoming experts within Amsterdam UMC and beyond to delve into the revolutionary applications of organoid models in scientific research. The symposium highlighted the applications of these models in understanding human diseases, enhancing personalized medicine, and driving innovations in regenerative therapy.

Dr. Jessica Nelson, a renowned cancer biologist from the Institute of Cancer Research in London, opened the event with her groundbreaking research on pancreatic cancer. By leveraging 3D organoid models, Nelson has paved the way for improved disease modeling and treatment. Her talk exemplified the bench-to-bedside approach, bridging laboratory discoveries with clinical applications to improve treatment strategies

Amsterdam institute for Immunology and Infectious diseases researchers also took the stage to showcase their innovative work:

  • Dr. Inés García Rodríguez (OrganoVIR Labs) presented her work on motor neuron and neuromuscular organoids, which offer promising tools for studying the impact of emerging viruses on human biology.
  • PhD candidate Jonas Jäger (Skinlab) presented his work on vascularized tissue models, emphasizing their potential to revolutionize diseases research and accelerate drug development.
  • Dr. Jan Piet van Hamburg (Sander Tas’s group) shared his work using organoids to model the synovial tissue microenvironment, advancing our understanding of in rheumatoid arthritis and its treatment.

Other highlights included insightful talks from:

  • Prof. Dr. Clara van Karnebeek on personalized therapy development using human diseases modelling
  • ·Dr. Alessandra Tammaro on iPSC-derived kidney organoids and tubuloids for studying environmental impacts and drug screening.
  • ·Dr. Gijs Afink on human trophoblast and placenta organoids to study pregnancy-related disorders.

Looking ahead

The symposium showcased the growing alignment of researchers with ORCAU’s mission to integrate human organoids in human-centred research. ORCAU and the Amsterdam institute for Immunology and Infectious diseases are excited about future collaborations that will foster the growth of organoid research and we look forward to seeing you next year at the annual symposium!

For more information, visit orcau.nl or contact them at organoidcenter@amsterdamumc.nl.