Novel "Lung-on-a-Chip" Developed to Simulate Respiratory Virus Infection Process

                          Novel "Lung-on-a-Chip" Developed to Simulate Respiratory Virus Infection Process

Source

Science and Technology Daily, Reporter: Zhang Jiaxin

Abstract

A research team from Kyoto University, Japan, published their 成果 in the latest issue of the journal "Nature Biomedical Engineering", developing a new "lung-on-a-chip" system that can simultaneously simulate the proximal airways and distal alveoli of the lungs. The system differentiates functional lung epithelial cells through induced pluripotent stem cell technology, combines organoid engineering and microfluidic platforms to reconstruct the three-dimensional structure and microenvironment of the lungs. It can accurately present the differential responses of different lung regions to viral infections, reduce interference from individual differences, and provide a more precise platform for the study of respiratory virus infection mechanisms and new drug evaluation and screening. It also offers important references for the construction of other organs and multi-organ systems.

Content

Respiratory virus infections have caused multiple global pandemics, placing a heavy burden on the medical system. Such viruses can cause severe damage to the lungs, especially the proximal regions (airways) and distal regions (alveoli) of the lungs. However, due to the differences in the responses of different lung regions to infection and the complexity of the mechanisms, traditional animal models or simple in vitro systems are difficult to accurately reproduce this process.

To solve the above problems, the Japanese research team has developed a microphysiological system. With the help of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, they successfully induced and differentiated functional lung epithelial cells, and then combined organoid engineering and microfluidic platforms to accurately reconstruct the three-dimensional structure and microenvironment of human lung airways and alveoli.

It is worth noting that the "lung-on-a-chip" constructed by the research team using iPSCs can clearly simulate the different responses of airways and alveoli during viral infection. More importantly, the cell source of the system is consistent, which effectively reduces the interference caused by individual differences. This achievement not only provides a more accurate platform for studying tissue- and virus-specific disease mechanisms but also opens up a new path for the evaluation and screening of new drugs.

In addition, the application scope of this research result is not limited to lung models. It also provides important references for the construction of other human organs and multi-organ systems, helping to deeply reveal the interaction mechanisms between organs. It can be said that the combination of microphysiological systems and iPSC technology will bring new ideas for the development of complex disease models.