How have human organ models been used in COVID-19 research, and to what extent can the results of different studies be compared with one another? These questions are addressed in a systematic review involving 35 researchers, for which 558 COVID-19 studies were analysed. The publication is based on a collaboration that arose from the NUM-funded project ‘Organo-Strat – Organ-specific stratification for COVID-19’.
Human organ models are models produced in the laboratory from human cells or tissue that replicate specific characteristics and functions of the respective organ. They make it possible to investigate disease processes and the effects of therapies under controlled conditions. In COVID-19 research, they have been used, amongst other things, to investigate infection, viral replication and the immune response.
The current analysis shows that the models have yielded important insights into SARS-CoV-2. However, the results of the various studies can only be compared to a limited extent. The authors noted that many studies lack detailed information on the models used, the experimental conditions and the experimental parameters. Furthermore, the names and descriptions of the models are sometimes inconsistent.
These differences make it difficult to systematically synthesise the results from different studies. The authors therefore recommend, amongst other things, standardised nomenclature and quality control for human organ models, as well as more transparent and consistent documentation of experiments and data. The promotion of interdisciplinary research networks is also one of the seven recommendations set out in the paper.
Collaboration beyond the project’s duration
The NUM project ‘Organo-Strat’ ran from August 2020 to the end of 2021 and aimed to establish a nationwide network of university hospitals and high-security laboratories comprising experts in human organ models, viral infections, and data and quality management. Together, they began to develop standards and standardised process chains for organ models, infections, biological samples, analyses and data management. The current publication builds on this project work and demonstrates how the collaboration that was established has continued even beyond the initial funding period.