Engineering the organoid microenvironment: Applications of hydrogel matrices in organoid culture

Organoids, which recapitulate human organ structure and function, have been widely used in disease modeling, drug discovery, personalized medicine, and regenerative therapy, demonstrating strong potential for future biomedical applications. Successful organoid culture (OC) depends on a matrix that provides mechanical support and in vivo microenvironment mimicry, both essential for cellular adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation. Owing to their tunable stiffness and viscoelasticity, which enable adaptation to diverse OCs, hydrogels have become key materials in OC matrix development. This review summarizes current advances in hydrogel systems, encompassing naturally derived and synthetic hydrogels used in OC, with an emphasis on their composition and physicochemical properties. This study aims to provide guidance for hydrogel selection in organoid research. This study further explores how hydrogel composition governs gelation behavior and ultimately influences organoid growth and functionality, providing insights for the future engineering of “all-purpose” hydrogel matrices.