Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 28, 2025; 31(28): 108297
Published online Jul 28, 2025. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i28.108297
Gastrointestinal tract, its pathophysiology and in-vitro models: A “quick” reference guide to translational studies
Kristijan Skok, Boštjan Vihar, Uroš Maver, Lidija Gradišnik, Konstantin Bräutigam, Martin Trapecar, Pavel Skok
Kristijan Skok, Diagnostic and Research Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Graz 8010, Steiermark, Austria
Kristijan Skok, Boštjan Vihar, Uroš Maver, Lidija Gradišnik, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor 2000, Slovenia
Konstantin Bräutigam, Centre for Evolution and Cancer, Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, United Kingdom
Martin Trapecar, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, United States
Pavel Skok, Department of Gastroenterology, University Clinical Center Maribor, Maribor 2000, Slovenia
Pavel Skok, Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor 2000, Slovenia
Author contributions: Skok K, Vihar B, Maver U, Skok P contributed to conceptualization; Skok K, Skok P contributed to data curation, formal analysis, funding acquisition, investigation, methodology; Skok P contributed to project administration, resources, software, supervision, validation; Skok K contributed to visualization; Skok K, Vihar B, Maver U, Gradišnik L, Bräutigam K, Trapecar M, Skok P contributed to writing original draft and writing, review and editing.
Supported by Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno in Inovacijsko Dejavnost RS, No. P3-0036, No. I0-0029, No. J3-50098, and No. N1-0305; University medical center Maribor, No. IRP-2021/02-05; and Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) Postdoctoral Fellowship, No. P500PM217647/1.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Pavel Skok, PhD, Doctor, Department of Gastroenterology, University Clinical Center Maribor, Ljubljanska 5, Maribor 2000, Slovenia. pavel.skok@guest.arnes.si
Received: April 10, 2025
Revised: May 18, 2025
Accepted: July 2, 2025
Published online: July 28, 2025
Processing time: 105 Days and 13.3 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: This review highlights the need for advanced in-vitro models to better replicate the gastrointestinal (GI) tract’s complexity for translational research. It compares the evolution from conventional 2-dimensional cultures toward 3-dimensional and microfluidic systems. Key advancements include the use of patient-derived cells, engineered microenvironments, and bioprinting techniques like micro-extrusion and laser-assisted printing. These technologies enable modeling of essential processes such as peristalsis, molecular transport, and liver coupling. By enhancing physiological relevance, these models support personalized medicine and improve the predictive power of preclinical GI research.