Recent advances and applications of human lung alveolar organoids

Abstract

The human lung alveolus is a well-structured and coordinated pulmonary unit, allowing them to perform diverse functions. While there has been significant progress in understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms behind human alveolar development and pulmonary diseases, the underlying mechanisms of alveolar differentiation and disease development are still unclear, mainly due to the limited availability of human tissues and a lack of proper in vitro lung model systems mimicking human lung physiology. In this review, we summarize recent advances in creating human lung organoid models that mimic alveolar epithelial cell types. Moreover, we discuss how lung alveolar organoid systems are being applied to recent cutting-edge research on lung development, regeneration, and diseases.