Single-cell transcriptomics of lung organoids

Abstract

The in vitro application of human pluripotent stem cell- or adult stem cell-derived lung organoids has the potential to revolutionize lung disease research, but there are several limitations in the consistent implementation of lung organoids resulting from the structural diversity of the lung tissues and the variety of cell types (more than 40 resident cell types) populating these tissues. However, the evaluation of these complexities using a combination of lung organoids and single-cell transcriptomics has made it possible to identify several key cell types and sub-populations critical to the development of robust in vitro organoid models. Recent studies have started to use stem cells to produce these organoids, making it possible to mimic complex 3-dimensional tissues. Furthermore, single-cell mRNA sequencing allows critical comparisons of the transcriptome, which may help focus future research in the field of lung disease.