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In recent years, organoid technology has become one of the major technological breakthroughs in biomedical field. As miniature organs constructed by three-dimensional culture of tissue stem cells in vitro, organoids are highly consistent with the source tissues in terms of tissue structures, cell types and functions, which serve as an ideal model for biomedical basic research, drug research and development and clinical precision medicine, and show important potential value in regenerative medicine. Organ transplantation is one of the most effective approaches to treat organ failure. However, the source of donor organs is currently limited, which could not meet the patients' needs. Identifying suitable graft substitutes is the key to breaking through the predicament. Organoids could be derived from the autologous tissues of patients. Multiple studies have demonstrated that organoids possess potent transplantation and repairing capabilities and may effectively avert the risk of immune rejection and tumorigenicity, etc. In this article, the development process and main application directions of organoid technology were summarized, and the application prospect and challenges of organoids in organ transplantation were reviewed and predicted.Copyright © 2022 Journal of Zhongshan University. All right reserved.
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The pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 has posed a threat to public health globally, and rapid and accurate identification of the viruses is crucial for controlling COVID-19. In recent years, nanomaterial-based electrochemical sensing techniques hold immense potential for molecular diagnosis with high sensitivity and specificity. In this review, we briefly introduced the structural characteristics and routine detection methods of SARS-CoV-2, then summarized the associated properties and mechanisms of the electrochemical biosensing methods. On the above basis, the research progress of electrochemical biosensors based on gold nanomaterials, oxide nanomaterials, carbon-based nanomaterials and other nanomaterials for rapid and accurate detection of virus were reviewed. Finally, the future applications of nanomaterial-based biosensors for biomolecular diagnostics were pointed out.
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Objective. To examine the relationship between eHealth literacy, perceived risk, and COVID-19 phobia among Chinese university students studying in Korea (the international group) and China mainland (the mainland group). Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire. With 1,107 student samples, structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to examine the relationship between eHealth, perceived risk, and COVID-19 phobia among the two groups. Results. These Chinese university students had a COVID-19-related eHealth literacy of 30.23 (SD 6.65), with scores of the mainland group higher than those of the international group. The international group students (56.47 +/- 17.64) reported a higher level of COVID-19 phobia than the mainland group students (48.89 +/- 17.76). The findings indicated that use frequency and information trust were higher when students possessed a higher level of COVID-19 eHealth literacy. Information trust would not have a significantly positive relationship with COVID-19 phobia, while higher levels of information use and perceived risk were positively associated with COVID-19 phobia. Conclusion. eHealth literacy, information factors, and perceived risk were associated with Chinese university students' phobia status. There may be substantial feasibility and practicality in conducting relevant interventions that consider the university students' psychological status and risk perception based on eHealth literacy and information factors.
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The pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 has posed a threat to public health globally, and rapid and accurate identification of the viruses is crucial for controlling COVID-19. In recent years, nanomaterial-based electrochemical sensing techniques hold immense potential for molecular diagnosis with high sensitivity and specificity. In this review, we briefly introduced the structural characteristics and routine detection methods of SARS-CoV-2, then summarized the associated properties and mechanisms of the electrochemical biosensing methods. On the above basis, the research progress of electrochemical biosensors based on gold nanomaterials, oxide nanomaterials, carbon-based nanomaterials and other nanomaterials for rapid and accurate detection of virus were reviewed. Finally, the future applications of nanomaterial-based biosensors for biomolecular diagnostics were pointed out. © 2023 Science Press. All rights reserved.
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The pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 has posed a threat to public health globally, and rapid and accurate identification of the viruses is crucial for controlling COVID-19. In recent years, nanomaterial-based electrochemical sensing techniques hold immense potential for molecular diagnosis with high sensitivity and specificity. In this review, we briefly introduced the structural characteristics and routine detection methods of SARS-CoV-2, then summarized the associated properties and mechanisms of the electrochemical biosensing methods. On the above basis, the research progress of electrochemical biosensors based on gold nanomaterials, oxide nanomaterials, carbon-based nanomaterials and other nanomaterials for rapid and accurate detection of virus were reviewed. Finally, the future applications of nanomaterial-based biosensors for biomolecular diagnostics were pointed out. © 2023 Science Press. All rights reserved.
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Distance estimation methods arise in many applications, such as indoor positioning and COVID-19 contact tracing. The received signal strength indicator (RSSI) is favored in distance estimation. However, the accuracy is not satisfactory due to the signal fluctuation. Besides, the RSSI-only method has a large-ranging error because it uses fixed parameters of the path loss model. Here, we propose an optimization method combining RSSI and pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) data to estimate the distance between smart devices. The PDR may provide high accuracy of walking distance and direction. Moreover, the parameters of the path loss model are optimized to dynamically fit the complex electromagnetic environment. The proposed method is evaluated in outdoor and indoor environments and compared with the RSSI-only method. The results show that the mean absolute error is reduced up to 0.51 m and 1.02 m, with an improvement of 10.60% and 64.55% for outdoor and indoor environments, respectively, compared with the RSSI-only method. Consequently, the proposed optimization method has better accuracy of distance estimation than the RSSI-only method, and its feasibility is demonstrated through real-world evaluations.Copyright © 2023 Bo Zhao et al.
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Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are composed of a large number of spatially distributed sensor nodes to monitor and transmit information from the environment. However, the batteries used by these sensor nodes have limited energy and cannot be charged or replaced due to the harsh deployment environment. This energy limitation will seriously affect the lifetime of the network. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to reduce energy consumption and balance the load of sensor nodes by clustering routing protocols, so as to prolong the lifetime of the network. First, the coronavirus herd immune optimizer is improved and used to optimize the network clustering. Second, the cluster heads (CHs) are selected according to the energy and location factors in the clusters, and a reasonable CH replacement mechanism is designed to avoid the extra communication energy consumption caused by the frequent replacement of CHs. Finally, a multihop routing mechanism between the CHs and the base station is constructed by Q-learning. Simulation results show that the proposed work can improve the structure of clusters, enhance the load balance of nodes, reduce network energy consumption, and prolong the network lifetime. The appearance time of the first energy-depleted node is delayed by 25.8%, 85.9%, and 162.2% compared with IGWO, ACA-LEACH, and DEAL in the monitoring area of $300×300 m, respectively. In addition, the proposed protocol shows better adaptability in varying dynamic conditions. © 2001-2012 IEEE.
ABSTRACT
The pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 has posed a threat to public health globally, and rapid and accurate identification of the viruses is crucial for controlling COVID-19. In recent years, nanomaterial-based electrochemical sensing techniques hold immense potential for molecular diagnosis with high sensitivity and specificity. In this review, we briefly introduced the structural characteristics and routine detection methods of SARS-CoV-2, then summarized the associated properties and mechanisms of the electrochemical biosensing methods. On the above basis, the research progress of electrochemical biosensors based on gold nanomaterials, oxide nanomaterials, carbon-based nanomaterials and other nanomaterials for rapid and accurate detection of virus were reviewed. Finally, the future applications of nanomaterial-based biosensors for biomolecular diagnostics were pointed out.
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Black communities in the United States have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic;however, few empirical studies have been conducted to examine the conditions of Black-owned businesses in the United States during this challenging time. In this article, we assess the circumstances of Black-owned restaurants during the entire year of 2020 through a longitudinal quantitative analysis of restaurant patronage. Using multiple sources of geospatial big data, the analysis reveals that most Black-owned restaurants in this study are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic among different cities in the United States over time. The finding reveals the need for a more in-depth understanding of Black-owned restaurants' situations during the pandemic and further indicates the significance of carrying out place-based relief strategies. Our findings also urge big tech companies to improve existing Black-owned business campaigns to enable sustainable support. As the first to systematically examine the racialization of locational information, this article implies that geographic information systems (GIS) development should not be detached from human experience, especially that of minorities. A humanistic rewiring of GIS is envisioned to achieve a more racially equitable world. © 2022 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
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Purpose: The pandemic of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (sars-cov- 2) has become a global health crisis (WHO, 2020b), leading to large number of infections and deaths. Autoimmune rheumatic diseases (ARD) are characterized by immune dysfunction and more susceptible to infection. The prevalence of COVID-19 in ARD patients was estimated by means of meta-analysis, and the effect of the use of anti-rheumatic drugs on the clinical outcome of ARD patients with COVID-19 was investigated. Method(s): Cross-sectional investigations and case series on ARD and COVID-19 published by CBM, CNKI, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wan Fang Data, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Medline from its establishment to June 26, 2022 were searched. Random effects model was used to pool data. Heterogeneity and risk of bias was examined with I-squared index (I2) statistic. Egger tests were used for the evaluation of potential publication bias (STATA v.12.0). Result(s): A total of 65 studies comprising 135 515 patients were identified. Overall prevalence of COVID-19 in ARD patients was 5.4% (95%CI: 4.3%-6.5%). The hospitalisation rate due to COVID-19 was 35.9% (95% CI: 28.3%-43.4%). The hospitalisation rates for ARD patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who received glucocorticoid was 35.9% (95%CI: 31.4%-40.4%). The rates of hospitalisation in patients who received hydroxychloroquine was 39.9% (95%CI: 34.5%-45.3%), and in patients who received biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (b-DMARD) was 38.1% (95%CI: 33.6%-42.5%), which were both higher than total hospitalisation. The mortality due to COVID-19 in patients with ARD was 6.0% (95% CI: 5.1%-6.8%). The mortality in ARD patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who received glucocorticoid was 5.3% (95%CI: 4.3%-6.2%), and in patients who received b-DMARD was 5.8% (95%CI: 4.9%-6.7%). Mortality rates for patients who received hydroxychloroquine was 5.2% (95%CI: 4.2%-6.2%) (Figure 1). Conclusion(s): Patients with ARD had a higher risk of COVID-19. Use of glucocorticoids decrease mortality in these patients suffered from COVID-19 infection. Though patients had a higher hospitalisation rates but lower mortality among patients prescribed b-DMARD or hydroxychloroquine. (Figure Presented).
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Background: Shengmai decoction, which has been included in the diagnosis and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is effective in the early treatment of patients with severe COVID-19. Yiqi Fumai lyophilized injection (YQFM) is a modern Chinese medicine preparation of the Shengmai decoction. The mechanism of its intervention at the molecular level in the severe stage of COVID-19 remains unclear. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the mechanism of YQFM in the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19. Methods: The corresponding target genes of the main active ingredients in YQFM and COVID-19 were obtained by using multiple databases and literature retrieval. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed, and enrichment analysis of the target was performed using Cytoscape 3.8.1. Lastly, the docking of all the identified compounds with angiotensin-converting enzyme II was confirmed by applying molecular docking technology. Results: YQFM has anti-inflammatory effects on RAW267.4 macrophages. The main active compounds of YQFM are all effective anti-inflammatory agents, and these active compounds also show beneficial physiological functions, such as anti-oxidation, anti-bacterial, and anticancer activities. Gene Ontology analysis showed enrichment in the following pathways: lipopolysaccharides, interleukins, NF-kappa B, interleukin-2 and others, revealing that YQFM may play a role in the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19 through these pathways. Conclusion: YQFM has multicomponent and multitarget characteristics, and it could reduce lung injury by inhibiting inflammatory reactions, promoting antiviral activities, and regulating immunity, among other functions, to treat patients with severe COVID-19.
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Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are composed of a large number of spatially distributed sensor nodes to monitor and transmit information from the environment. However, the batteries used by these sensor nodes have limited energy and can not be charged or replaced due to the harsh deployment environment. This energy limitation will seriously affect the lifetime of the network. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to reduce energy consumption and balance the load of sensor nodes by clustering routing protocols, so as to prolong the lifetime of the network. Firstly, the coronavirus herd immune optimizer is improved and used to optimize the network clustering. Secondly, the cluster heads are selected according to the energy and location factors in the clusters, and a reasonable cluster head replacement mechanism is designed to avoid the extra communication energy consumption caused by the frequent replacement of cluster heads. Finally, a multi-hop routing mechanism between the cluster heads and the base station is constructed by Q-learning. Simulation results show that the proposed work can improve the structure of clusters, enhance the load balance of nodes, reduce network energy consumption and prolong the network lifetime. The appearance time of the first energy-depleted node is delayed by 25.8%, 85.9% and 162.2% compared with IGWO, ACA-LEACH and DEAL in the monitoring area of 300m ×300m, respectively. In addition, the proposed protocol shows better adaptability in varying dynamic conditions. IEEE
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Antibacterial fabric with high thermal stability and mechanical strength is important for personalized protection, especially under the background of coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). This paper presents a facile approach toward high-efficient antibacterial polypropylene spunbonded nonwoven fabrics (SNFs), which are decorated by a composite of graphene oxide embedded with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs/GO) through dip-coating and in situ reduction effect of pre-introduced amino-terminated hyperbranched polymer (HBP-NH2). Typically, HBP-NH2 was grafted onto the GO nanosheets, then silver ions were trapped and self-reduced by the HBP-NH2 to generate silver nanoparticles decorated GO. The produced AgNPs are uniformly dispersed on the GO with a size of 13 nm. As an antibacterial coating, the Ag/GO composite could tightly wrap the SNFs fibers through the dip-padding method, capable of enhancing the thermal stability and mechanical property of SNFs. The treated SNFs exhibited excellent antibacterial activities (~99.9%) against both Echerisia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, promising important potential for biomedical and personal protection applications. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, is evolving. Thus, the risk of airborne transmission in confined spaces may be higher, and corresponding precautions should be re-appraised. Here, we obtained the quantum generation rate (q) value of three SARS-CoV-2 variants (Alpha, Delta, and Omicron) for the Wells-Riley equation with a reproductive number-based fitted approach and estimated the association between the infection probability and ventilation rates. The q value was 89-165 h-1 for Alpha variant, 312-935 h-1 for Delta variant, and 725-2,345 h-1 for Omicron variant. The ventilation rates increased to ensure an infection probability of less than 1%, and were 8,000-14,000 m3 h-1, 26,000-80,000 m3 h-1, and 64,000-250,000 m3 h-1 per infector for the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants, respectively. If the infector and susceptible person wore N95 masks, the required ventilation rates decreased to about 1/100 of the values required without masks, which can be achieved in most typical scenarios. An air purifier was ineffective for reducing transmission when used in scenarios without masks. Preventing prolonged exposure time in confined spaces remains critical in reducing the risk of airborne transmission for highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Background: Given the social distancing measures employed to reduce the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, tele-health has rapidly expanded and is now routinely used in new patient encounters and in follow up appointments across Canada. Aims: To determine the patient and physician perspective towards tele-health in a gastroenterology outpatient setting. Methods: An anonymous voluntary online survey was distributed to patients who had previously undergone at least one tele-health visit in a tertiary care gastroenterology outpatient setting. A separate online survey was distributed to gastroenterologists practising across Canada. Results: A total of 181 patients from British Columbia (59.8% female) completed the survey. The tele-health appointment was the first visit for 21.8% of patients. Appointments occurred by phone call alone (61.4%) or by video and audio software (38.6%) and started within 5 minutes of the scheduled time in 75% of visits. Patient satisfaction with the tele-health visit was high (8.54 on a scale of 0-10;0 completely dissatisfied, 10 extremely satisfied;IQR 8-10). Most patients did not perceive a difference in likelihood of compliance compared to a non-tele-health visit (90.6%), were not concerned about the lack of physical exam during a tele-health visit (82.4%) and did not with-hold information they would have revealed in person (88.7%). After the COVID-19 pandemic, some patients would prefer tele-heath visits (39.2%), whereas others would prefer in office visits (28.5%) and the remainder were indifferent (32.3%). Post-pandemic, most patients would prefer tele-health for follow up visits (68.4%), over tele-health for all possible visits (27.9%) or no tele-health visits (3.8%). A total of 25 Canadian gastroenterologists (28.0% female;60% academic practice, 40% community practice) completed a separate survey. Regarding the lack of physical exam in tele-health, 44% of physicians believed this did not affect the quality of their assessment, whereas some physicians believed it had either minimally (48%) or greatly (8%) impaired the quality of their assessment. Almost all physicians (96%) perceived that patients either appreciate tele-health as much as or more than in office visits. Post-pandemic, most physicians (96%) supported a hybrid model of both tele-health and in office visits. Appointments for follow up of benign endoscopic pathology results (96%), follow up visits (92%), consultations prior to endoscopy (76%) were deemed to be most appropriate for tele-health. Follow up of malignant pathology results (24%) and consultations for new patients (32%) were thought to be less appropriate for tele-health visits. Conclusions: Patient and physician satisfaction with tele-health in a Canadian outpatient gastroenterology setting is high. Most patients and physicians wish for telehealth to remain available in the post-pandemic setting.
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Background: With the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand and availability of telehealth in outpatient care has increased. Although use of telehealth has been studied and validated for various medical specialties, relatively few studies have looked at its role in gastroenterology despite burden of chronic diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Aims: To assess effectiveness of telehealth medicine in gastroenterology by comparing medication adherence rate for patients seen with telehealth and traditional in-person appointment for various GI conditions. Methods: Retrospective chart analysis of patients seen in outpatient gastroenterology clinic was performed to identify patients who were given prescription to fill either through telehealth or in-person appointment. By using provincial pharmacy database, we determined the prescription fill rate. Results: A total of 241 patients were identified who were provided prescriptions during visit with their gastroenterologists. 128 patients were seen through in-person visit during pre-pandemic period. 113 patients were seen through telehealth appointment during COVID pandemic. The mean age of patients in telehealth cohort was 42 years (57% male). On average patients had 10 prior visits with their gastroenterologists before index appointment, used for adherence assessment. 92% of patients were seen in follow-up, while 8% were seen in initial consultation. The majority of the patients in the telehealth cohort had IBD (89%), while the remaining 11% had various diagnoses, including functional GI disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease, viral hepatitis, or hepatobiliary disorders. Biologic therapy was the most commonly prescribed medication (66.4%). 45 patients were provided either new medication or dose change, and 68 patients had prescription refill to continue their current medications. It took a mean of 18 days (SD = 16.2) for patients to fill their prescriptions. Prescription fill rate for patients seen through telehealth and in-person visit were 98.2% and 89.1% (P = 0.004) respectively. Patients seen through telehealth were 6.8 times more likely to fill their prescriptions compared to the in-person counterparts (OR 6.82, CI 1.51 - 30.68, P = 0.004). When we compared adherence rate while excluding biologic therapies, the prescription fill rate was 94.7% in telehealth group and 81.4% in in-person group (OR 4.11, CI 0.88 - 19.27, P = 0.056). Due to high level of adherence, statistical analysis comparing adherent and non-adherent groups was performed but yielded insignificant results. Conclusions: Medication adherence rate for patients seen through telehealth was higher compared to patients seen through in-patient visit in this study. Telehealth is a viable alternative for outpatient care especially for patients with chronic GI conditions such as IBD.
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Background: Novel Coronavirus pneumonia 2019 (COVID-19) is a systemic infectious disease with prominent involvement of the respiratory tract, due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)[1]. Systemic lupus erythematosus is charcterized by an aberrant immune response with the presence of circulating autoantibodies, lymphopenia, and proinfammatory[2]. They are immune-compromised and vulnerable to infections with immune-suppressants treatment. However, data regarding the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in patients with SLE and drug use were relatively scarce. Objectives: The prevalence of COVID-19 in SLE patients was estimated by means of meta-analysis, and the effect of the use of anti-rheumatic drugs on the clinical outcome of SLE patients with COVID-19 was investigated. Methods: Cross-sectional investigations and case series on SLE and COVID-19 published by CBM, CNKI, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wan Fang Data, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Medline from its establishment to November 10, 2021 were searched. Random effects model was used to pool data. Heterogeneity and risk of bias was examined with I-squared index (I2) statistic. Inconsistency was evaluated by using the I2. Egger tests were used for the evaluation of potential publication bias (STATA v.12.0). Results: A total of 14 studies comprising 5365 patients were identifed (Table 1). Overall prevalence of COVID-19 in SLE patients was 1.5% (95%CI: 1.2%-1.8%). Eight of the studies included patients who used hydroxychloroquine as part of their treatment regimen, with 29.8% (95%CI: 25.8%-33.8%) hospitalization rates and 14.6% (95%CI: 11.5%-17.8%) adverse outcome rates. Among patients treated with hydroxychloroquine throughout the course of disease, the prevalence was 0.7% (95%CI: 0.4%-1.0%, Figure 1). Conclusion: Patients with SLE had a higher risk of COVID-19. Hydroxychloro-quine might beneft to reduce the overall hospitalization rate and prevalence rate of COVID-19, and alleviate infammatory damage in the chronic stage of viral infection by inhibiting over activation of the immune system.
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The main aim of this study is to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on financial markets in China. Results of correlation analysis indicate that higher financial correlation among provinces emerged after the official announcement regarding COVID-19 in China. The Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) results after the pandemic announcement denote that Shanghai, Beijing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Chongqing become the new cores, and the overall linking type exhibits cluster mode, which is varied from the intertwined connection mode. In addition, through Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) and Wavelet analysis, we found that financial markets in China are more susceptible to unexpected incidents.
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In recent years, organoid technology has become one of the major technological breakthroughs in biomedical field. As miniature organs constructed by three-dimensional culture of tissue stem cells in vitro, organoids are highly consistent with the source tissues in terms of tissue structures, cell types and functions, which serve as an ideal model for biomedical basic research, drug research and development and clinical precision medicine, and show important potential value in regenerative medicine. Organ transplantation is one of the most effective approaches to treat organ failure. However, the source of donor organs is currently limited, which could not meet the patients' needs. Identifying suitable graft substitutes is the key to breaking through the predicament. Organoids could be derived from the autologous tissues of patients. Multiple studies have demonstrated that organoids possess potent transplantation and repairing capabilities and may effectively avert the risk of immune rejection and tumorigenicity, etc. In this article, the development process and main application directions of organoid technology were summarized, and the application prospect and challenges of organoids in organ transplantation were reviewed and predicted. © 2022 Journal of Zhongshan University. All right reserved.