INFECTION MODELING
Human organoids and organ-on-chip platforms enable infection studies impossible in traditional models. Many pathogensâincluding SARS-CoV-2, norovirus, and human-specific parasitesârequire human tissue for infection. These systems capture host-pathogen interactions, immune responses, and tissue damage mechanisms in physiologically relevant contexts.
PATHOGEN CATEGORIES
- Respiratory Viruses: Lung organoids for SARS-CoV-2, influenza, RSV infection and antiviral testing
- Enteric Pathogens: Gut organoids for norovirus (first cultivation), rotavirus, C. difficile
- Hepatotropic Viruses: Liver organoids for HBV, HCV supporting chronic infection models
- Neurotropic Pathogens: Brain organoids for Zika virus, HSV, and prion diseases
- Bacterial Infections: Gut-on-chip for H. pylori, S. typhimurium host-pathogen dynamics
PANDEMIC RESPONSE
- COVID-19: Lung and gut organoids rapidly characterized SARS-CoV-2 tropism and tested antivirals
- Drug Repurposing: Organoid screens identified remdesivir efficacy early in pandemic
- Variant Tracking: Organoid infection enables rapid assessment of emerging variant severity
- ARPA-H PARADIGM: Platform for rapid countermeasure development using organoid technology
AMR CRISIS RESPONSE
With antimicrobial resistance threatening to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050, organ-on-chip platforms enable novel antibiotic mechanism discovery. Gut microbiome-on-chip models assess antibiotic effects on commensal bacteria, while infection models test combination therapies against resistant pathogens.