“Organoids of individual patients are like avatars: they predict which drug will work best for the patient from which they derive.”

 

Hans Clevers is Emeritus Professor at Utrecht University. He supervises research groups as honorary group leader at the Hubrecht Institute and the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology and is Oncode Investigator in Utrecht, NL.

Hans Clevers's stem-cell research plays a prominent role within the Utrecht strategic research theme Life Sciences, where Utrecht-based scientists from the fields of biology, chemistry, veterinary medicine and medicine collaborate.

The Clevers Group of the Hubrecht Institute studies the biology of Wnt detection in tissue renewal and in cancer. The discovery of Lgr5 as a marker for Wnt-dependent stem cells in various matured types of tissue led to the development of a technology that lets stem cells grow into expanding epithelial organoids.

These organoids share very many characteristics with the original tissue. That makes them suitable for use in the studying of physiological and pathological processes. Organoids grown from the patient's own cells can also be used to test medications on and predict the tissue's response to them. This personalised way of medication research is expected to open up new roads for regenerative medicine and, combined with the most modern DNA research, for gene therapy.

More information:

Clevers Group - Hubrecht Institute