Building human airway organoids to help lung repair and study lung diseases

Airway organoids generated from human adult-derived cells exhibit mechanical robustness and stability during long-term culture.

• Mixed populations of human adult bronchial epithelial cells, lung fibroblasts, and endothelial cells can self-organize into distinct structures.
• Airway organoids form invasive multicellular tubular structures that mimic aspects of lung tissue development.
• The generation of these organoids involves actomyosin-mediated forces and activation of specific cellular pathways.
• Distinct regions of both proximal and distal epithelial markers indicate significant plasticity in the epithelial cells over time.
• Airway organoids respond to fibrogenic stimuli, suggesting their potential role in studying lung disease mechanisms.
• The organoids show limited ability to mature and integrate when implanted in a murine model.

Simplified