ReviewAdvanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)2025
Rethinking Matrigel: The Complex Journey to Matrix Alternatives in Organoid Culture.
Review in Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Guiding Principles: Reporting Elements for Gastrointestinal Organoid Research.Cellular and molecular gastroenterology and hepatology · 2026Guideline
- Current Perspectives on 2D and 3D Cell Culture Models in Cancer Research: Molecular Determinants of Tumor Biology and Therapeutic Response.Current issues in molecular biology · 2026Review
- Three-dimensional spheroid models in breast cancer: tumor microenvironment complexity, cancer stem cell-driven resistance, and translational model integration.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Review
- Integrated mesenchymal and extracellular cues drive bioengineered liver tissue formation and function.Materials today. Bio · 2026Article
- Article
- Alveolar organoids: from model systems to applications in respiratory diseases.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Review
- Gastric Cancer Organoids: Mechanistic Insights, Drug Discovery, and Translational Advances in Precision Medicine.Journal of gastric cancer · 2026Review
- Organoid technology in cancer research.Molecular biomedicine · 2026Review
- Can Complex 3D Models Effectively Replace 2D and Animal Models to Investigate the Microbe-Tumor-Immune Axis in Pancreatic Cancer Studies?Nutrients · 2026Review
- Collagen IV outperforms alternative ECM coatings to preserve human neural progenitor properties on electrically conductive neural interfaces.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Harnessing Tumor Organoids to Revolutionize Immunotherapy Research.Cancer medicine · 2026Review
- Structure-Property-Function Relationships in Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogels for Brain Organoid Vascularization.Gels (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Kidney Organoids in Drug Development: Integrating Technological Advances and Standardization for Effective Implementation.Advanced healthcare materials · 2026Review
- Bioengineered 3D Human Trabecular Meshwork Models for Outflow Physiology and Glaucoma Research.Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Development and Transformation of Veterinary Experimental In Vitro Models: From 2D Culture to 3D Organoids.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Review
- Challenges and solutions in transitioning to animal-free standards: a comprehensive analysis of components in human cell-based developmental neurotoxicity assays.Frontiers in toxicology · 2026Review
- Patient-derived organoids in functional precision oncology: from experimental models to clinical decision-making.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Review
- Toward system-level integration of organoids for regenerative medicine.Burns & trauma · 2026Review
- A photo-crosslinkable hyaluronic acid-collagen hydrogel maintains epithelial integrity and supports intestinal organoid stemness.Regenerative biomaterials · 2026Article
- Rethinking Matrigel: The Complex Journey to Matrix Alternatives in Organoid Culture.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Matrigel is a crucial tool in cell biology, particularly for organoid research. It forms a stable scaffold with components like basement membrane proteins and growth factors, resembling the extracellular matrix and mimicking the cellular microenvironment. Its complex composition is both an asset and a drawback, as it is undefined and can vary from batch to batch. Another issue is the murine origin of Matrigel, raising ethical and scientific concerns. Interspecies variation hinders the successful translation of research findings from experimental models to clinical application in humans. Despite these well-known and often-discussed disadvantages, Matrigel is often the first choice of matrix. This review explores why Matrigel remains the gold standard for many human 3D culture systems despite its murine origin and well-known limitations. Therefore, challenges are identified that prevent researchers from transitioning to matrix alternatives and, eventually, developing completely xeno-free human model systems. To tackle these challenges, it is suggested to move beyond a one-for-all approach by pursuing a tissue- and model-specific focus when designing new matrices or selecting an alternative from already available options. To facilitate the implementation of Matrigel substitutes, we provide a matrix selection checklist and a scaffold assessment tool, and quantitative assessment criteria to evaluate matrix-model compatibility are suggested.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.