Guest Editors
Christopher Zdyrski
University of Georgia
Dr. Christopher Zdyrski obtained his PhD in Genetics and Genomics from Iowa State University where he focused on the culture and characterization of novel 3D organoids (stem cells). Dr. Zdyrski currently works in the SMART Comparative Medicine Laboratory at UGA’s CVM, led by Dr. Jonathan Mochel and Dr. Karin Allenspach. The lab focuses on the phenotypic and functional characterization of canine adult stem cell-derived epithelial organoids as well as other non-model species. He also works as the Director of Research and Product Development at a start-up company (3D Health Solutions, Inc.), which has the goal of commercializing assays for drug screening based on organoid methods in dogs and other animals. Dr. Zdyrski aims to reduce the future need for in vivo use of healthy dogs and other animal models.
Jonathan P. Mochel
University of Georgia
Dr. Jon P. Mochel is a Professor of Systems Pharmacology in the Department of Pathology and the Founding Director of the Precision One Health Initiative at the University of Georgia (UGA). He has an extensive background in Clinical and Basic Pharmacology and Toxicology and is a Board-Certified Veterinary Pharmacologist and Toxicologist (DECVPT). Dr. Mochel holds advanced degrees in Pharmacology (MS), Pharmacokinetics (MS), and Applied Mathematical Modeling (PhD), with his research focusing on the effects of therapeutic drugs in complex biological systems, including the heart and kidneys. Dr. Mochel is a Fellow of the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics and serves as an ad hoc reviewer for several public organizations, including the US National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the UK Medical Research Council, and the CNRS/INSERM ATIP-Avenir Program. His contributions have earned him the Early Career (2019) and Mid-Career Achievement (2022) Research Awards from Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology Research Award (2022). Currently, Dr. Mochel serves as President of the European Association of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology. He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications in select biomedical journals and has secured more than $16 million in research funding as a principal investigator or co-investigator over the past seven years. As of 2024, Dr. Mochel is recognized among Stanford University's list of the "World's Top 2%" scientists.
Karin Allenspach
University of Georgia
Karin Allenspach received her veterinary degree from the University of Zurich. She did an internship in small animal emergency medicine and critical care at Tufts University and a residency in small animal internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and is a diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. She was awarded a PhD in veterinary immunology from the University of Bern, Switzerland for her work on canine chronic enteropathies. She is currently employed as Professor in Internal Medicine and Translational Health at Iowa State University, Ames, USA and is a PI of the SMART Translational medicine Lab at ISU, which focuses on the development and culture of adult stem stem-cell-derived organoids from various species. Her latest efforts have resulted in the founding of a start-up company (3D Health Solutions, Inc.) with the goal of commercializing assays for drug screening based on organoid methods.
Collection Overview
Over the past decade, research on stem cell use and applications has advanced significantly, leading to the development of 3D culture systems that support the ex vivo growth of epithelial tissues into organoids. Organoids have become invaluable tools for disease modeling, studying stem cell physiology, and enabling genome editing. Moreover, the ability to generate 3D organoids from both healthy and diseased individuals offers a unique platform for drug screening, allowing targeted therapies that are safer and more effective by focusing specifically on diseased epithelial tissues.
While mouse models have been instrumental in advancing our understanding of stem cell biology, their ability to predict drug efficacy and safety in clinical practice remains limited. This gap underscores the urgent need to establish well-characterized cell lines and standardized protocols for cultivating and maintaining 3D organoids derived from large animal species. These models offer superior potential for replicating disease pathophysiology and improving predictions of drug safety and efficacy for clinical applications.
This Special Issue of the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) seeks experimental methods articles highlighting the development of novel 3D organoid systems derived from large animal models for use in biomedical research.
