Lung regeneration and lung bioengineering

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affects more than 65 million people worldwide. Lung transplantation is the only definitive treatment. However, donor availability is limited in meeting the demand.

Lung regeneration is a new therapeutic strategy that uses the patient's stem cells to replace dysfunctional tissue and restore functional lung tissue rather than alleviate symptoms. Organoids are a new promising target for human lung regeneration. The AEP cells are isolated from human lung tissue for growth. The 3D organ-like structures conserve the alveolar progenitor's capacity to proliferate and differentiate into various epithelial cell types.Bioengineered organs, from a patient's cells, allow for customized biocompatible organs-on-demand without the need for immunosuppressive therapy. The concept involves the creation of a form of 3D tissue scaffold, to be populated by cells of the desired tissue to be transplanted into the patient, allowing for function as closely to the native organ as possible.

The lung's ability to regenerate extensively after injury suggests that this capability could be promoted in diseases in which loss of lung tissue occurs. Lung bioengineering offers the potential to drastically extend life expectancy in patients with end-stage lung disease. If lung reengineering were successful, it would revolutionize the world of transplantation.