Allometric Scaling of physiologically-relevant organoids

The functional and structural resemblance of organoids to mammalian organs suggests that they might follow the same allometric scaling rules. However, despite their remarkable likeness to downscaled organs, non-luminal organoids are often reported to possess necrotic cores due to oxygen diffusion limits. To assess their potential as physiologically relevant in vitro models, we determined the range of organoid masses in which quarter power scaling as well as a minimum threshold oxygen concentration is maintained. Using data on brain organoids as a reference, computational models were developed to estimate oxygen consumption and diffusion at different stages of growth. The results show that mature brain (or other non-luminal) organoids generated using current protocols must lie within a narrow range of masses to maintain both quarter power scaling and viable cores. However, micro-fluidic oxygen delivery methods could be designed to widen this range, ensuring a minimum viable oxygen threshold throughout the constructs and mass dependent metabolic scaling. The results provide new insights into the significance of the allometric exponent in systems without a resource-supplying network and may be used to guide the design of more predictive and physiologically relevant in vitro models, providing an effective alternative to animals in research.