Human bone marrow organoids: emerging progress but persisting challenges
Paul Bourgine
Abstract
Organoid systems hold promise as miniaturized in vitro platforms that model developmental and pathological processes. However, the engineering of human bone marrow organoids (BMOs) has been a long-standing challenge. Recently, the field has witnessed the emergence of BMO-like systems, a potential paradigm shift for the study of human hematopoiesis and associated niche elements. Published protocols rely on the mesodermal induction of iPSCs, establishing mesenchymal-vascular-hematopoietic tissues exhibiting fetal compositional and functional features. However, concerns on their reliability to model adult bone marrow processes exist. Given the blood ontogeny complexity, leveraging developmentally inspired programs presents a significant challenge in establishing relevant BMO systems. While the importance of developing human BMO persists, the engineering modalities to achieve it remain cryptic.