Understanding the cellular pathogenesis of COVID-19 symptoms using organoid technology

Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has recently caused a pandemic, have reported symptoms of coronavirus infection that are not well understood by the medical community in general. After severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, several symptoms, including acute clinical signs and possible sequelae, manifest in multiple organs. It is necessary to precisely identify the cells susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection in order to comprehend the mechanism of symptom occurrence, identify molecular targets for therapeutic development, and prevent current or future threats. Following the use of cell lines, animal models, and stem cell-derived symptom-relevant cells, recent research on the pathophysiology of human diseases has utilized organoid models. This article provides a summary of recent research on the tissue- or organ-specific cellular targets of SARS-CoV-2 aiming to understand the pathophysiology of COVID-19.