Researchers are aiming to create world first 3D bioprinted inner ear mini organs called organoids from stem cells to test new drug treatments for hearing disorders.
Three French companies have formed a strategic collaboration to work on the project which aims to revolutionise research and development of new treatments by providing alternative solutions to animal testing with humanised systems.
No pharmacological treatment exists to prevent or restore hearing loss.
The companies plan to create the organoids from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC). These are a type of pluripotent stem cell created from adult cells such as skin or blood cells by reprogramming them to an embryonic-like state. This process allows them to self-renew and turn into any cell type in the body.
CTIBIOTECH, a biotechnology company which innovates in human tissue engineering and 3D bioprinting, announced in a media release on 10 October 2025, that two other companies, SATT AxLR and Cilcare, had chosen it to support development of the OrgaEar project.
Cilcare is a biotechnology company specialising in auditory sciences and development of mature cochlear organoids, and SATT AxLR, is a technology transfer accelerator which specialises in maturation and commercialisation of projects.
“This innovative project addresses a critical need in hearing disorders research by developing advanced pharmacological screening tools, positioned as intermediaries between traditional cell lines and animal models,” CTIBIOTECH said.
CTIBIOTECH said its 15 plus years of R&D in human tissue biomanufacturing resulted in it mass-producing human skin models including the first computer-connected skin with sensory nervous system. It said it would apply these technologies to growing inner ear organoids.
The company said its non-animal new approach method placed it at the forefront of the cell-based bioassay market.
The University of Montpellier’s Bioengineering and Nanosciences Laboratory developed protocols enabling design and production of inner ear organoids from the stem cells.
CTIBIOTECH said the development represented a major step forward to:
- Accelerate pharmacological screening with standardised, reproducible models enabling rapid testing of new drug candidates.
- Reduce animal testing, enabling an ethical and more predictive alternative for research into hearing disorders.
- Improve clinical relevance as human organoids offered superior predictive power to traditional mouse models.
- Industrialise production as 3D bioprinting would enable mass production with consistent quality.
Integrating functional nerve structures
Professor Colin McGuckin, CTIBIOTECH president and chief scientific officer, said: “We are honoured to have been selected for this pioneering project.
“Our expertise in 3D bioprinting of complex human tissues, including our ability to integrate functional nerve structures, is particularly well suited to the challenges of this project.
“Inner ear organoids represent one of the most sophisticated models in tissue engineering and we are convinced that our bioprinting automation approach will significantly accelerate research into hearing disorders.”
Dr Nico Forraz, CTIBIOTECH CEO, said the three companies were helping to develop tools that would accelerate discovery of treatments for hearing pathologies affecting more than one billion people worldwide.
“This collaboration fits in perfectly with our strategy of reducing drug development costs and time through innovation in automation,” he said.
Organoids becoming essential tools
Mr Philippe Nérin, SATT AxLR president, said organoids were set to become essential tools in medical research.
“The research program financed by SATT AxLR and the support of CTIBIOTECH, in this key stage, will enable Cilcare to accelerate the development of new therapeutic solutions and thus become the leader in the treatment of hearing pathologies,” he said.
Scientist Ms Sylvie Pucheu, Cilcare co-founder and director of preclinical innovation, said it was a key step towards faster, more responsible medical innovation.
“Organoids are changing the way we think about preclinical research; they reduce the time needed to discover and validate new therapies, while improving their biological relevance,” she said.
