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Updated: May 12, 2026

Generation of 3D Whole Lung Organoids from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Modeling Lung Developmental Biology and Disease
Published on: April 12, 2021
A single-cell atlas of lung homeostasis reveals dynamic changes during development and aging
Hao Jia1, Yuan Chang1, Yulin Chen1,2
1Beijing Key Laboratory of Preclinical Research and Evaluation for Cardiovascular Implant Materials, Animal Experimental Centre, National Centre for Cardiovascular Disease, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
Abstract:
Aging is a global challenge, marked in the lungs by function decline and structural disorders, which affects the health of the elderly population. To explore anti-aging strategies, we develop a dynamic atlas covering 45 cell types in human lungs, spanning from embryonic development to aging. We aim to apply the discoveries of lung's development to address aging-related issues. We observe that both epithelial and immune cells undergo a process of acquisition and loss of essential function as they transition from development to aging. During aging, we identify cellular phenotypic alternations that result in reduced pulmonary compliance and compromised immune homeostasis. Furthermore, we find a distinctive expression pattern of the ferritin light chain (FTL) gene, which increases during development but decreases in various types of lung cells during the aging process.
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