Drug Development Services, Patient-Derived Organoids, and Advanced Reagents
Figure 1.Characterization of human colon organoids using immunocytochemical stains for Mucin-1, F-actin, and DAPI.
What is 3D Cell Culture?
Cells in their natural environment have constant interactions with their extracellular matrix (ECM) and other cells, regulated by complex biological functions. Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems allow cells to grow and interact with their surroundings in all three dimensions.
By utilizing 3D cell culture models, including organoids, researchers can more closely simulate the in vivo architecture. Organoid models also provide better predictive in vitro cell models for applications including cancer research, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine. Transitioning to organoids can bring together the biological relevance of animal models with the accessibility of traditional 2D models.
What are Organoids?
We have now expanded our organoid portfolio to include HUB Organoids. The founder of adult stem cell-derived organoid technology, HUB Organoids specializes in the application of Organoid Technology to preclinical testing, drug discovery, and therapeutic development. Our healthy and diseased patient-derived organoid biobanks are subjected to rigorous quality control protocols. These biobanks are stable in long term culture and suited to cryopreservation.
We have also rounded out our portfolio to include access to HUB Organoid screening services. Accelerate the discovery of therapeutic treatments, such as for infectious diseases, oncology, and toxicology investigations, and closely mimic human biology with this novel platform.
Discover how researchers derived and characterized an open community organoid biobank that we now offer. Check out the paper, A Tumour-Derived Organoid Biobank Maps Cancer Gene Dependencies, by Herranz-Ors, C., Bhosle, S.G., Beck, A.E et al. Nature (2026) now!
Figure 2.Apical-out Human Colon Organoids Generation. The epithelial cell polarity was reversed using the apical-out organoid culture protocol and 3dGRO™ Human Colon Intestinal Organoids. Polarity reversion was determined using DAPI (blue) and ZO-1 (MABT339, Green) immunocytochemical staining.
Organoids are mini-organs derived from stem cells and grown in near-native culture conditions that allow for the development of functional 3D structures preserving key physiological function of the original tissue. They can be derived from patient tissues (patient-derived organoids; PDOs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Organoids have been used to study organ-specific disorders and diseases, including related cancers, and have been used to investigate viral respiratory disease, drug transport, drug permeability, ADME/Tox, and organogenesis
Our portfolio of patient-derived organoids includes gastrointestinal, lung cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, liver, esophageal, ovarian, and breast organoid biobanks, which facilitate the large-scale screening of novel compounds for therapeutic development.
Our drug screening services leverage our comprehensive portfolio of PDOs to help researchers predict patient-specific responses by providing a powerful platform to test and evaluate novel compounds. With our approach, researchers can identify potential failures early in discovery process, saving time and accelerating their path towards clinical trials.
Our services support a variety of therapeutic areas, such as oncology, immuno-oncology, inflammatory, genetic, and infectious diseases, and toxicology. These drug screening services include:
- PDO Screen for Oncology Drug Development
- Preclinical Toxicology Screen
- Inflammatory Disease Models
- KRAS Inhibitor Testing
- ADC Organoid Screen
- Bispecific Antibody Screen
Develop targeted therapies, get insights into patient responses, and improve your drug development pipeline with your partner in discovery.
Have other unique needs? We also offer custom model and assay development services! By working with scientists to create tailored organoid models, we can help support the development of novel assays and the discovery of novel therapeutic solutions that directly translate to clinical outcomes. These custom solutions can include using our organoid technology to design additional functional assays or develop new biomarkers, or implementing new and advanced imaging techniques.
If your experiments require models that are outside of our established service offerings, contact us for a tailored consultation about our model and assay capabilities.
Our organoid technology is based on extensive knowledge of the underlying biology of adult stem cells. For researchers looking to use this organoid technology in their own labs, we offer licensing and highly tailored technology transfer support. Our licensing packages are ideal for researchers that aim to integrate organoid technology to develop novel therapeutics or manufacture and sell organoid-related products. Discover expert protocols and support to make the technology transfer easier.
In additional to licensing our technology, we offer tech transfer packages to provide researchers with the opportunity to interact with our experts and use their extensive experience to successfully implement our organoid technology.
Licensing HUB Organoid Technology is as easy as three steps – apply, agree, and execute. Get started today!
Related Products
Optimized Reagents and Tools for Organoids
Culturing organoids, spheroids, and other 3D models often require specific reagents and tools to support the establishment of the cultures, such as specifically conditioned media. Researchers could use separate scaffolds like inserts for their cultures, or they can culture cells directly into 3D cell culture plates with plates that contain ultra-low attachment (ULA) coatings.
Conditioned Media for Organoid Culture
3dGRO® conditioned media for organoid culture are a complete, ready-to-use, and optimized media researchers can use to ensure optimal culture consistency and performance. These media contain growth factors, such as Wnt3a, that trigger downstream signaling pathways resulting in gene expression that regulates cell development and are essential for in vitro organoid growth. They also function as an alternative to adding recombinant proteins and growth factors to existing media.
Millicell® Ultra-low Attachment (ULA) Plates for Spheroid Culture
Millicell® ULA plates promote scaffold free self-assembly of spheroids using a stable, non-binding polymer. The plates contain an ultra-hydrophilic polymer that facilitates spontaneous and natural spheroid formation. Millicell® ULA plates have high optical clarity, making them suitable for both brightfield imaging and confocal microscopy.
We cultured multiple spheroid forming cells using Millicell® ULA plates. Using the plates, we developed quantitative measurements of spheroid formation by calculating spheroid circularity and roundness.
Millicell® Cell Culture Inserts
TEER readers are often used to monitor and measure epithelial monolayer barrier formation in 2.5D experiments. Researchers perform barrier formation assays on hanging inserts with porous membranes, with cells forming confluent monolayers when there is an increase in resistance measurements. Millicell® cell culture inserts allow researchers to study the apical and basal surfaces of the monolayer and are ideal for co-culture applications.
Millicell® ERS 3.0 Digital Voltohmmeter for PDO Monolayer Analysis
The Millicell® ERS 3.0 Digital Voltohmmeter acquires highly stable TEER measurements, automatically saves your data, and includes an easy-to-use touchscreen interface, a standing in-well probe, a plug-in or battery pack power source, and an adjustable electrode that is compatible with a wide variety of cell culture inserts, including Millicell® cell culture inserts.
TEER data from the Millicell® ERS 3.0 Digital Voltohmmeter can easily be exported via USB drive, ethernet, or uploaded to the cloud. Our Millicell® Cloud features comprehensive measurement view, enabling visualization and analysis your data in various formats.
Corning® Organoid Products and Labware
Corning® organoid products and labware can help researchers break through the barriers to create in vivo-like environments and predictive models quickly and efficiently. Whether you’re just getting started in 3D cell culture, looking for proven ways to scale up, or moving to high throughput screening, Corning® offers spheroid model platforms from spheroid scale up to high throughput screening, more predictive tools for drug discovery, disease modeling, and precision medicine, and tools for 3D tissue microenvironments, including:
Moving from 2D to 3D
3D cell culture is an in vitro method for researchers who want to more closely model physiological conditions. It is often more relevant than using traditional 2D methods. 3D cell culture methods promote interactions with other cells and with the physical environment. These interactions can regulate multiple cellular functions, including transcription regulation and apoptosis.
Scaffold-free Technologies
One method of 3D cell culture is the scaffold-free model. Scaffold-free 3D cell culture techniques allow cells to self-assemble and form non-adherent cell aggregates, clusters, spheroids, or tumorspheres.
Scaffold-based Technologies
In scaffold-based 3D cell culture methods, 3D scaffolds provide structural support for cell attachment and tissue development. This recapitulates elements of the native extracellular matrix (ECM) or cellular environment.
For researchers studying drug safety and efficacy, ADME/toxicity, and biotherapeutics development, 3D cell culture models can reduce the time spent in setting up and performing assays.
Related Content
- Article: Patient-Derived Organoid Biobanks for Drug Discovery
Explore HUB patient-derived organoid biobanks and screening platforms for personalized medicine and drug discovery.
- Protocol: MDCK Cell Culture Protocol Using a 96-well TEER Assay System
Discover an expert protocol for optimizing MDCK-II cell growth on the Millicell® 96-well cell culture assembly with the Millicell® ERS 3.0.
- Protocol: T-Cell Migration Assays Using Millicell® Cell Culture Inserts
Learn how to perform cell migration assays in vitro using Millicell® hanging cell culture inserts and the suspension T-cell lines Jurkat and primary CD4+ cells. Monitor migration by flow cytometry and EZ-MTT assays.
- Protocol: Tumor Spheroid Formation Assay
3D cell culture protocol: the tumor spheroid formation assay using a serum-free and xeno-free cancer stem cell culture media.
- Article: Bioink Selection for 3D Bioprinting
Bioinks can be 3D bioprinted into functional tissue constructs for drug screening, disease modeling, and in vitro transplantation. Choose the Bioinks and method for specific tissues engineering applications.
- Webinar: 3D Organ-on-a-Chip Applications Using the AIM Biotech Chip
3D organ-on-a-chip applications using the AIM biotech chip.
- Article: Attachment Factors for 3-Dimensional Cell Culture
The extracellular matrix (ECM) and its attachment factor components are discussed in this article in relation to their function in structural biology and their availability for in vitro applications.
- Article: Cellular Fluorescence Imaging with Millicell® Cell Culture Inserts
Millicell® hanging cell culture inserts for staining and microscopic analysis directly from the insert. Learn to utilize hanging cell culture inserts in barrier measurements.
- Brochure: 3D Cell Culture Tools and Applications
Cultivate reality with state-of-the-art 3D cell technologies including tumor spheroids, stem cell organoids, patient-derived organoids, and tissue engineering via 3D bioprinting.
Organotypic Culture
Figure 3.In vitro organotypic skin culture model. H&E staining showing epidermal and dermal stratified layers using an in vitro organotypic model.
Organotypic culture systems (OCSs) culture organs in vitro that were collected from an organism. These models preserve normal organ architecture and interactions while supporting the formation of nearly normal stratified epidermis cells. They can be used to mimic complex pathologies of the human skin, airway, intestine, liver, heart, and neurological tissues.
Organotypic models are commonly used to study a variety of related cancers, aging, autoimmune disorders, infection, tissue microenvironment, and tissue development. These systems are typically cultured using scaffold-based technologies such as porous membrane-based cell culture inserts.