Generation of thyroid follicular cell organoids from adult thyroid tissue [mouse]

The thyroid maintains systemic homeostasis by regulating serum thyroid hormone concentrations. Here we report the establishment of adult stem cell-derived three-dimensional (3D) organoids representing murine and human thyroid follicular cells (TFCs). The TFC organoids (TFCO) harbour the complete machinery of hormone production as visualised by the presence of colloid in the lumen and by the presence of essential transporters and enzymes in the polarised epithelial cells that surround a central lumen. Both the established murine as human thyroid organoids express canonical thyroid markers PAX8 and NKX2.1, while the thyroid hormone precursor thyroglobulin is expressed at comparable levels to tissue. Single cell RNA sequencing and transmission electron microscopy confirm that TFCOs phenocopy primary thyroid tissue. Thyroid hormones are readily detectable in conditioned medium of human TFCOs. Overall design: mRNA Bulk sequencing of adult murine thyroid tissue and thyroid follicular cell organoids from early and late passage. For each sample description, 2 biological replicates were used.