Tissue extracellular matrix hydrogels as alternative to Matrigel for culturing gastrointestinal organoids

Matrigel, a mouse tumor extracellular matrix (ECM) protein mixture, is an indispensable component of most organoid tissue culture. However, it has limited the utility of organoids for drug development and regenerative medicine due to its tumor-derived origin, batch-to batch variation, high cost, and safety issues. Here, we demonstrate that gastrointestinal (GI) tissue-derived ECM hydrogels are a suitable substitute for Matrigel in GI organoid culture. We found that the development and function of GI organoids grown in GI ECM hydrogels are comparable or often superior to those in Matrigel. In addition, GI ECM hydrogels enabled long-term subculture and transplantation of GI organoids by providing GI tissue-mimetic microenvironments. Tissue-specific and age-related ECM profiles of GI ECM hydrogels that affect organoid development were also elucidated through proteomic analysis. Together, our results suggest that ECM hydrogels derived from decellularized GI tissues are an effective alternative to the current gold standard, Matrigel, and produce organoids suitable for GI disease modeling, drug development, and tissue regeneration.