ABSTRACT
Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Organoids as Models of Development and
Disease, and their Impact on Drug Discovery, organized by Drs. Ajamete Kaykas, Aron Jaffe and Prisca
Liberali. The conference will be held in Keystone, Colorado from February 5-8, 2023.
Stem cell and tissue-derived organoids are three-dimensional, in vitro cellular models that faithfully recapitulate
many features of a variety of organ systems. As such, they represent human tissue avatars, and have been
used to study stem cell biology, organ development, the earliest stages of organismal development, and
disease. The goals of this symposium are to highlight the impact of organoids on our understanding of
development and disease, how organoids are being used in drug discovery, and their potential as therapeutics.
Attendees will be exposed to the latest advances and discoveries that have resulted from the establishment
and use of organoids in basic research and drug discovery. Additionally, this conference will be held jointly
with the Keystone Symposia conference on Stem Cells: Advances in the Application of Stem Cells and their
Role in vivo. This pairing is very synergistic as organoids represent an increasingly important way to use stem
cells to model tissue formation, allowing unprecedented access to nascent tissues, while for the organoid
researchers, the biology of stem cells in situ in the in vivo context remains an important gold standard and
reference. This will be the first time a conference will unify the stem cell and organoid fields to create a unique
forum for participants. It is anticipated that attendees will also form new connections and collaborations with
researchers across the academic and industry communities.