A new US Standardized Organoid Modeling (SOM) Center will be dedicated to using cutting-edge technologies to develop standardised organoid-based new approach methodologies (NAMs).  

With contracts totalling $87 million for the first three years, the centre will be housed at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR), a facility supported by NIH’s National Cancer Institute (NCI).  

The centre’s goal will be to leverage the latest technologies to enable real-time optimisation of organoid protocols. 

“This groundbreaking initiative will transform how we conduct biomedical research through innovative approaches to advancing human-based technologies,” said NIH Director Dr Jay Bhattacharya. “By creating standardised, reproduceable, and accessible organoid models, we will accelerate drug discovery and translational science, offering more precise tools for disease modelling, public health protection, and reducing reliance on animal models.” 

Most organoid models are currently produced in academic settings through trial and error, slowing their ability to be reproduced across labs.  

The NIH SOM Center hopes to address these reproducibility challenges through using technologies including artificial intelligence, robotics, and a variety of human cell sources to establish standardised organoid models that can be used widely by researchers and accepted by regulators, accelerating scientific discoveries and decisions. 

World-class organoid protocols

The centre will also work with regulatory bodies, including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to develop models that meet preclinical testing standards, accelerating development of new disease treatments and safety assessments. The centre will initially focus on organoid models of the liver, lung, heart, and intestine, with plans to expand to additional organ systems and disease-specific models. 

“The NIH SOM Center is truly a first of its kind,” said Nicole Kleinstreuer, Acting NIH Deputy Director for Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives. “It will serve as a national resource to scientists at NIH and investigators from around the country and the world, offering a unique combination of AI and machine learning to develop world-class organoid protocols, advanced robotics for large-scale production, and open-access repositories for physical samples and digital resources.” 

A new SOM Scientific Advisory Board, comprised of internationally recognised scientists, will provide strategic guidance and direction for the centre’s scientific priorities and research.

Diana Turner, Deputy Editor, DDW