Lung organoids: powerful tools for studying lung stem cells and diseases
Organoids are self-organising, three-dimensional structures derived from stem/progenitor cells grown in culture. They maintain, at least in part, cellular and molecular properties and physiological functions of embryonic or adult tissues. Organoids are powerful tools for studying molecular mechanisms underlying the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells, the interactions between different cell populations, and disease development. In addition, because organoids more closely resemble primary tissue than cell lines, they provide reliable and scalable platforms for drug screening. In the respiratory tract, organoids have been derived from at least three distinct classes of stem/progenitor cells: basal cells, subsets of secretory cells and AEC2s. Here, we describe current procedures and the molecular and cellular characteristics of lung organoid cultures from mouse and human stem/progenitor cells. Furthermore, we exemplify how these organoids have been used to study lung stem cell biology and to model lung diseases for drug screening. Lastly, we discuss the current limitations and future directions of lung organoid cultures.
