Hidenori Akutsu, MD, PhD, discusses the xenobiotic metabolism of intestinal organoids
Hidenori Akutsu, MD, PhD, is the director of the Department of Reproductive Medicine at the National Center for Child Health and Development in Tokyo, Japan. Assessment of absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) of xenobiotics has transformed the understanding of in vivo pharmacology. However, these processes are difficult to repeat in vitro. In recent years, Dr. Akutsu and colleagues established a novel derivation/cultivation system of embryonic stem cells which had a potential application in translational and clinical research. Now, his latest study – published in StemJournal – is the first to show that human gastrointestinal organoids exert catalytic activity on xenobiotics. Here, he discusses this model and its potential for unleashing answers about the gut microbiome.