NIH Establishes Organoid Development Center

In September, NIH awarded contracts for launching the Standardized Organoid Modeling (SOM) Center. The center will use cutting-edge technologies to develop organoid models that deliver robust, reproducible patient-centered research findings. 

Organoids are small, lab-grown tissue models that replicate the structure and function of human organs, offering alternatives to animal models. However, 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 will address these reproducibility challenges using technologies including artificial intelligence, robotics and a variety of human cell sources to establish standardized organoid models that can be used widely by researchers and accepted by regulators, accelerating scientific discoveries and decisions.

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

“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 standardized, reproducible and accessible organoid models, we will accelerate drug discovery and translational science, offering more precise tools for disease modeling and public health protection, and reducing reliance on animal models.”

The NIH SOM Center will support a wide array of users, including scientists and researchers from academic institutions, industry and government; clinicians in need of patient-specific models; and the broader scientific community, including industry partners and educators. It will provide open access to protocols, data and organoids, promoting global collaboration. 

The center will also work with regulatory bodies, including the Food and Drug Administration, to develop models that meet preclinical testing standards, accelerating development of new disease treatments. The center 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 Dr. Nicole Kleinstreuer, acting NIH deputy director for Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives. “It will serve as a national resource…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.”