Intero Biosystems develops human intestinal organoids for drug testing

Intero Biosystems, a Colorado-based startup originating from the University of Michigan, is developing human intestinal organoids to provide an alternative to animal testing in drug development. The company’s flagship product, GastroScreen, consists of lab-grown, one-millimeter-wide tissue models that mimic the complex structure of the human gut.

Unlike simpler models that only replicate a single layer of cells, these organoids incorporate multiple cell and tissue types, including epithelium, fibroblasts, smooth muscle, vessels, and neurons. They are created using induced pluripotent stem cells derived from adult blood samples, a process that allows for large-scale production and the potential for patient-specific customization in the future.

Pharmaceutical, biotech, and chemical companies can use these organoids to simulate healthy intestinal responses or induce disease-like conditions to observe how specific compounds affect the tissue. This technology arrives as the U.S. FDA has moved toward encouraging methods that reduce or replace animal experimentation. Intero Biosystems also provides necessary nutrients, reagents, and custom experimental design services to its clients.