Two speakers from the University of Southampton will present at WORD+ 2026, sharing insights into advances in organoid, organ-on-a-chip, assembloid and next-generation in vitro technologies (WORC Events).

Dr Nicole Prior is a Lecturer in Stem Cell Biology at the University of Southampton whose research focuses on the developmental and regenerative biology of the liver, using three-dimensional organoid systems to investigate how signalling and metabolic pathways regulate liver progenitor cell fate, differentiation and tissue homeostasis.

In her recent study “RNF43/ZNRF3 loss predisposes to hepatocellular-carcinoma by impairing liver regeneration and altering the liver lipid metabolic ground-state” (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27923-z),  Dr Prior and colleagues contributed to a key study showing that loss of the WNT negative regulators RNF43/ZNRF3 disrupts normal liver regeneration and alters lipid metabolism, thereby predisposing to steatohepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma by perturbing hepatocyte proliferation and differentiation. This work highlights how fine-tuning of WNT signalling is essential for maintaining metabolic balance and regenerative capacity in liver tissue.

Another key contribution, “Dynamic cell contacts between periportal mesenchyme and ductal epithelium act as a rheostat for liver cell proliferation” (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2021.07.002), demonstrates how cell-cell interactions within the liver microenvironment regulate proliferation dynamics during organ development, supporting a nuanced view of how tissue architecture influences organogenesis and regenerative responses.

Dr Benjamin Sharpe is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Southampton with expertise in advanced cancer models such as assembloids that more faithfully replicate the tumour microenvironment (TME). His work is at the intersection of tumor biology, organoid technologies and translational cancer research.

In his recent publication “Patient-derived tumor organoid and fibroblast assembloid models for interrogation of the tumor microenvironment in esophageal adenocarcinoma” (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crmeth.2024.100909), Dr Sharpe, Tim J. Underwood and colleagues developed patient-derived tumour organoid and fibroblast assembloid models that incorporate cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) alongside tumour cells to recreate key aspects of the oesophageal adenocarcinoma microenvironment. These assembloids better reflect tumour heterogeneity and stromal interactions than conventional organoid cultures, offering powerful platforms for investigating tumour-stroma crosstalk, therapy response and disease mechanisms.

At WORD+ 2026, Dr Prior will present on liver development and regeneration using 3D organoid systems, and Dr Sharpe will present on these patient-derived tumour assembloid models for modelling the tumour microenvironment.