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The Organoid group, previously Clevers group, studies the molecular mechanisms of tissue development and cancer of various organs using organoids made from adult Lgr5 stem cells.
Hans Clevers is Head of pharma Research and Early Development (pRED) of Roche, Basel Switzerland, since March 2022. He was group leader at the Hubrecht Institute from 2002 until March 2022 and currently he is advisor/guest researcher at the Hubrecht Institute.
Tcf as Wnt effector In 1991, we reported the cloning of a T cell specific transcription factor that we termed TCF1 (1). Related genes exist in genomes throughout the animal kingdom. We have shown in frogs (4), flies (7) and worms (11) that the TCF proteins constitute the effectors of the canonical Wnt pathway. Upon Wnt signaling, ß-catenin binds and activates nuclear TCFs by providing a trans-activation domain. For these studies, we designed the widely used pTOPFLASH Wnt reporters. In the absence of Wnt signaling, we found that Tcf factors associate with proteins of the Groucho family of transcriptional repressors to repress target gene transcription (9).
Wnt signaling in cancer The tumor suppressor protein APC forms the core of a cytoplasmic complex which binds ß-catenin and targets it for degradation in the proteasome. In APC-deficient colon carcinoma cells, we demonstrated that ß-catenin accumulates and is constitutively complexed with the TCF family member TCF4, providing a molecular explanation for the initiation of colon cancer (5).
Wnt signaling in adult stem cells
In mammals, physiological Wnt signaling is intimately involved with the biology of adult stem cells and self-renewing tissues (18,19). We were the first to link Wnt signaling with adult stem cell biology, when we showed that TCF4 gene disruption leads to the abolition of crypts of the small intestine (8), and that TCF1 gene knockout severely disables the stem cell compartment of the thymus (2). The Tcf4-driven target gene program in colorectal cancer cells is the malignant counterpart of a physiological gene program in selfrenewing crypts (13, 14).
Lgr5 as adult stem cell marker
Amongst the intestinal Wnt target genes (13), we found the Gpr49/Lgr5 gene to be unique in that it marks small cycling cells at crypt bottoms. These cells represent the epithelial stem cells of the small intestine and colon (23), the hair follicle (24), the stomach (28) and many other tissue stem cell types. The cells also represent the cells-of-origin of adenomas in the gut (25) and within adenomas Lgr5 stem cells act as adenoma stem cells (36). Lgr6 marks multipotent skin stem cells (29).
Lgr5 stem cell biology
The Wnt target gene encoding the transcription factor Achaete scute-like 2 controls intestinal stem cell state (26). Lgr5 crypt stem cells behave in unanticipated ways: Against common belief, they divide constantly and in a symmetric fashion. Stem cells numbers remain fixed because stem cells compete ‘neutrally’ for niche space (30). This phenomenon was confirmed by in vivo imaging (44). Daughters of the small intestinal stem cells, the Paneth cells, serve as crypt niche cells by providing Wnt, Notch and EGF signals (33). The transcriptional hierarchy of the various enteroendocrine lineages was mapped in mouse and man (58, 66).
Lgr5 is the R-spondin receptor
Lgr5 resides in Wnt receptor complexes and mediates signaling of the Wnt-agonistic R-spondins (31), explaining the unique dependence of Lgr5 stem cells on secreted R-spondins in vivo and in vitro. Two other Wnt target genes, RNF43 and ZNRF3, encode stem cell-specific E3 ligases that downregulate Wnt receptors in a negative feedback loop (35). Independent work by the Feng Cong lab has first shown that R-spondin, when bound to Lgr5, captures and inactivates RNF43/ZNRF3.
Long-term clonal culturing of organoids from Lgr5 stem cells. Modeling of infectious, hereditary disease and cancer in organoids (reviewed in 51)
Wnt signaling intimately interacts with the BMP and Notch cascades to drive proliferation and inhibit differentiation in intestinal crypts and adenomas (17, 20). Based on these combined insights, we have established Lgr5/R-spondin-based culture systems that allow the outgrowth of single mouse or human Lgr5 stem cells into ever-expanding organoids. Some examples are mini-guts (27, 32), mini-stomachs (28), colon cancer organoids (32, 47), liver organoids (39, 46, 55), prostate organoids (45), breast cancer organoids (53), ovarian cancer organoids (59), pancreas cancer organoids (48), and even snake venom gland organoids (61). These epithelial organoid cultures are genetically and phenotypically extremely stable, allowing transplantation of the cultured offspring of a single stem cell, as well as disease modeling by growing organoids directly from diseased patient tissues (32, 47, 53). The direct cloning of multiple individual cells from primary tumors allows molecular and functional analysis of tumor heterogeneity with unprecedented resolution (54).
Human organoids allow functional analyses of rare cell types, such as enteroendocrine cells (66). They are readily amenable to CRISPR-mediated genome modification to model for instance malignant transformation (49) and mutagenesis upon faulty DNA repair (52), or to rapidly create knock-in alleles of genes of interest (62, 66). Human rectal organoids model the hereditary disease Cystic Fibrosis, are now routinely used to predict drug response in CF patients. In 2013, we have provided the first proof-of-concept for CRISPR-mediated repair of a hereditary mutation in patient stem cells (43, 64). Human organoids also model infectious disease, as demonstrated for instance for Cryptosporidium (55), a mutagenic E. coli strain (63) and for SARS-CoV-2 (65).
In sum, stem cell-derived organoids (as first described by Sasai for pluripotent stem cells and by us for adult stem cells) are rapidly gaining ground as research tools in a wide range of scientific disciplines including basic developmental and cell biology, infectiology, toxicology and research on hereditary diseases and cancer.
In this video, Hans Clevers summarizes the use of organoids in cancer research.
Selected papers (out of ~780 peer-reviewed papers with ~160,000 citations in Scopus; h-index 193)
Mizutani T, Boretto M, Lim S, Drost J, [...] van Boxtel R, Clevers H
Download|2024
Beumer J, Geurts MH, Geurts V, Andersson-Rolf A, [...] van Es JH, Clevers H
Huang L, Bernink JH, Giladi A, Krueger D [...] Peters PJ, Clevers H
Bannier-Hélaouët M, Korving J, Ma Z, Begthel H, [...] Wu W, Clevers H
Hendriks D, Pagliaro A, Andreatta F, Ma Z [...] Clevers H, Artegiani B
Dayton T, Alcala N, Moonen L, Den Hartigh L [...] Fernández-Cuesta L, Clevers H
Download|2023
Millen R, De Kort WWB, Koomen M, Van Son GJF [...] Driehuis E, Clevers H
Lin L, Demartino, J, Wang, D, Van Son, GJF [...] Van Es J, Clevers H
Hendriks D, Brouwers JF, Hamer K, Geurts MH, […] Artegiani B, Clevers H
He GW, Lin L, DeMartino J, Zheng X, Staliarova N, [...] Holstege F, Clevers H
Download|2022
Lohmussaar K, Oka R, Espejo Valle-Inclan J, Veersema S, [...] van Boxtel R, Clevers H
Download|2021
Bannier-Hélaouët M, Post Y, Korving J [...] Imhoff S, Clevers H
Lamers MM, Beumer J, van der Vaart J [...] Haagmans, BL, Clevers H
Download|2020
Post Y, Puschhof J, Beumer B [...] Casewell NR, Clevers H
Beumer J, Puschhof J, Bauzá-Martinez [...] Wu, W and Clevers H
Artegiani B, Hendriks D, Beumer J [...] Tans, S and Clevers, H
Geurts, MH de Poel E, Amatngalim, GD [...}, Beekman, JM and Clevers, H
Pleguezuelos-Manzano C, Puschhof J, Rosendahl A [...] van Boxtel R, Clevers H
Kopper O, de Witte, CJ [...] Kloosterman WP, Clevers H
Download|2019
Schutgens F, Rookmaaker MB [...] Verhaar MC, Clevers H
Gehart H, van Es J, [...] Rios A, and Clevers H
Hu H, Gehart H [...] de Jong YP, Clevers H
Download|2018
Roerink SF, Sasaki N [...] Stratton MR, Clevers H
Sachs N, de Ligt J [...] Cuppen E, Clevers H
EU-Organoid-67013
Drost J, van Boxtel R [...] Cuppen E, Clevers H
Download|20171013
Clevers, H.
Download|20160501
Drost, J, van Jaarsveld, R.H., Ponsioen, B., Zimberlin, C., van Boxtel, R., Buijs, A.,Sachs, N., Overmeer, R.M., Offerhaus, G.J., Begthel, H. Korving, J., van de Wetering, M., Schwank, G. Logtenberg, M., Cuppen, E., Snippert, H.J., Medema, J.P., Kops, G. J. P. L., Clevers, H.
Download|20150501
Farin, H.F., Jordens, I., Mosa, M.H., Basak, O., Korving, J., Tauriello, D.V.F., de Punder, K., Angers, S., Peters, P.J. Maurice, M.M. and Clevers, H.
van de Wetering, M., Francies, H.E., Francis, J.M., Bounova, G., Iorio, F., Pronk, A., ... Garnett, M.J., Clevers, H.
Boj, S.F., Hwang, C.I., Baker, L.A., Chio, I.I., Engle, D.D., ..., Clevers, H, Tuveson, D.A.
Huch, M., Gehart, H., van Boxtel, R., Hamer, K., Blokzijl, F., Verstegen, M.A., Ellis, E., van Wenum, M., Fuchs, S., de Ligt, S., van de Wetering, M., Sasaki, N., Boers, S.J., Kemperman, H., de Jonge, J., Ijzermans, J.N.M., Niewenhuis, E.E.S., Hoekstra, R., Strom, S., Vries, R.G.J., van der Laan, L.J.W., Cuppen, E., Clevers, H.
Karthaus, W.R., Iaquinta, P.J., Drost, J., Gracanin, A.., van Boxtel, R., Wongvipat, J., Dowling, C.M., Gao, D., Begthel, H., Sachs, N., Vries, R.G., Cuppen, E., Chen, Y., Sawyers, C.L., Clevers, H.
Download|20140501
Ritsma, L., Ellenbroek, S.I., Zomer, A., Snippert, H.J., de Sauvage, F.J., Simons, B.D., Clevers, H., van Rheenen, J.
Schwank, G., Koo, B.K., Sasselli, V., Dekkers, J.F., Heo, I., Demircan, T., Sasaki, N., Boymans, S., Cuppen, E., van der Ent, C.K., Nieuwenhuis, E.E., Beekman, J.M. and Clevers, H.
Download|20130501
Stange, D.E., Koo, B.K., Huch, M., Sibbel, G., Basak, O., Lyubimova, A.,Kujalla, P., Bartfeld, S., Koster, J., Geahlen, J.H., Peters, P.J., van Es, J., van de Wetering, M., Mills, J.C., Clevers, H.
Sato, T., Clevers, H.
Huch M., Dorell, C., Boj, S.F., van Es, J.H., van de Wetering, M., Li, V.S.W., Hamer, K., Sasaki, N., Finegold, M.J., Haft, A., Grompe, M., Clevers, H.
Boj, S,F., van Es, J.H.,Huch. M., Li, V.S., Jose, A., Hatzis, P., Mokry, M., Haegebarth, A., van den Born, M., Chambon, P., Voshol, P., Dor, Y., Cuppenm E., Fillat, C., Clevers, H.
Download|20120501
van Es, J.H., Sato, T., van de Wetering, M., Lyubimova, A., Yee Nee, A.N., Gregorieff, A., Sasaki, N., Zeinstra, L., van de Born, M., Korving, J., Martens, A.C., Barker, N., van Oudenaarden, A., Clevers, H.
Schepers, A.G., Snippert, H.J., Stange, D.E., van den Born, M., van Es, J.H., van de Wetering, M., Clevers, H.
Koo, B-K., Spit, M. Jordens, I., Low, T.Y., Stange, D.E., van de Wetering, M., van Es, J.H., Mohammed, S., Heck, A.J.R., Maurice, M.M. and Clevers, H.
de Lau, W., Barker, N., … and Clevers, H.
Download|20110501
Li, V.S., Ng, S.S., Boersema, P.J., Low, T.Y., Karthaus, W.R., Gerlach, J.P., Mohammed, S., Heck, A.J., Maurice, M.M., Mahmoudi, T. and Clevers, H.
Snippert, .J., van der Flier, L.G., Sato, T., van Es, J.H., van den Born, M., Kroon-Veenboer, C., Barker, N.,Klein, A.M., van Rheenen, J. Benjamin D. Simons, B.D. and Clevers, H.
Download|20100501
Sato, T., van Es, J.H., Snippert, H.J., Stange, D.E., Vries, R.G., van den Born, M., Barker, N., Shroyer, N.F., van de Wetering, M., Clevers, H.
Snippert, H.J., Haegebarth, A., Kasper, M., Jaks, V., van Es, J.H., Barker, N., van de Wetering, M., van den Born, M., Begthel, H., Vries, R.G., Stange, D.E., Toftgård, R., Clevers, H.
Barker, N, Huch, M., …, and Clevers, H.
Sato, T., Vries, R., Snippert, H., van de Wetering, M., Barker, N., Stange, D., van Es, J., Abo, A., Kujala, P., Peters, P., and Clevers, H.
Download|20090501
van der Flier, L.G., van Gijn, M.E., .., and Clevers, H.
Barker N., Ridgway R.A., van Es J.H.,van de Wetering M., Begthel H., van den Born M., Danenberg E., Clarke A.R., Sansom O.J., Clevers, H.
Jaks V., Barker N., Kasper M., van Es J.H., Snippert H.J., Clevers H., Toftgård, R.
Download|20080501
Barker, N, van Es, J.H., Kuipers, J., Kujala P., van den Born, M., Cozijnsen, M., Korving, J., Begthel, H., Peters, P.C., and Clevers, H.
Download|20070501
Download|20060501
Batlle E., Bacani J., Begthel H., Jonkheer S., Gregorieff A., Van de Born M., Malats N., Sancho E., Boon E., Pawson T., Gallinger S., Pals S., Clevers, H.
Download|20050501
Van Es J.H., Van Gijn M.E., Riccio O., Van den Born M., Vooijs M., Begthel H., Cozijnsen M., Robine S., Winton D.J., Radtke F., Clevers, H.
Reya T., Clevers H.
Radtke, F and Clevers, H.
Haramis A.P., Begthel H., van den Born M., van Es J., Jonkheer S., Offerhaus G.J., Clevers H.
Download|20040501
Baas A.F., Kuipers J., van der Wel N.N., Batlle E., Koerten H.K., Peters P.J., Clevers H.C.
Hurlstone A.F., Haramis A.P., Wienholds E., Begthel H., Korving J., Van Eeden F., Cuppen E., Zivkovic D., Plasterk R.H., Clevers H.
Download|20030501
Battle, E., Henderson, J.T., Beghtel, H., van den Born, M., Sancho, E., Huls, G., Meeldijk, J., Robertson, J., van de Wetering, M., Pawson, T., Clevers, H.
Download|20020501
Van de Wetering, M., Sancho, E., Verweij, C., de Lau, W., Oving, I., Hurlstone, A., Van der Horn, K., Batlle, E., Coudreuse, D., Haramis, A-P., Tjon-Pon-Fong, M., Moerer, P., Van den Born, M., Soete, G., Pals, S., Eilers, M., Medema, R., Clevers, H.
Bienz, M., and Clevers, H.
Download|20000501
Korswagen, R., Herman, M. and Clevers, H.
Roose, J., Huls, G., van Beest, M., Moerer, P., van der Horn, K., Goldschmeding, R., Logtenberg, T., and Clevers, H.
Download|19990501
Roose, J., Molenaar, M., Peterson, J., Hurenkamp, J., Brantjes, H., Moerer, P., van de Wetering, M., Destree, O., and Clevers, H.
Download|19980501
Korinek, V., Barker, N., Moerer, P., van Donselaar, E., Huls, G., Peters, P.J. and Clevers, H.
Van de Wetering, M., Cavallo, R., Dooijes, D., Van Beest, M., Van Es, J., Loureiro, J., Ypma, A., Hursh, D., Jones, T., Bejsovec, A., Peifer, M., Mortin, M., and Clevers, H.
Download|19970501
Morin, P.J., Sparks, A., Korinek, V., Barker, N., Clevers, H., Vogelstein, B., and Kinzler, K.
Korinek, V, Barker, N., Morin, P.J., van Wichen, D., de Weger, R., Kinzler, K.W., Vogelstein, B., and Clevers, H.
Molenaar, M., Van de Wetering, M., Oosterwegel, M., Peterson-Maduro, J., Godsave, S., Korinek, V., Roose, J., Destrée, O. And Clevers, H.
Download|19960501
Schilham, M., Oosterwegel, M., Moerer, P., Jing Ya, de Boer, P., van de Wetering, M., Verbeek, S., S., Lamers, W., Kruisbeek, A., Cumano, A., and Clevers, H .
Verbeek, J.S., Ison, D., Hofhuis, F., Robanus-Maandag, E., te Riele, H., van de Wetering, M., Oosterwegel, M., Wilson, A., MacDonald, H.R. and Clevers, H.C.
Download|19950501
van de Wetering, M., Oosterwegel, M., Dooijes, D., and Clevers, H.C
Download|19910501
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