Modeling respiratory tract diseases for clinical translation employing conditionally reprogrammed cells

Preclinical models serve as indispensable tools in translational medicine. Specifically, patient-derived models such as patient-derived xenografts (PDX), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), organoids, and recently developed technique of conditional reprogramming (CR) have been employed to reflect the host characteristics of diseases. CR technology involves co-culturing epithelial cells with irradiated Swiss-3T3-J2 mouse fibroblasts (feeder cells) in the presence of a Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, Y-27632. CR technique facilitates the rapid conversion of both normal and malignant cells into a “reprogrammed stem-like” state, marked by robust in vitro proliferation. This is achieved without reliance on exogenous gene expression or viral transfection, while maintaining the genetic profile of the parental cells. So far, CR technology has been used to study biology of diseases, targeted therapies (precision medicine), regenerative medicine, and noninvasive diagnosis and surveillance. Respiratory diseases, ranking as the third leading cause of global mortality, pose a significant burden to healthcare systems worldwide. Given the substantial mortality and morbidity rates of respiratory diseases, efficient and rapid preclinical models are imperative to accurately recapitulate the diverse spectrum of respiratory conditions. In this article, we discuss the applications and future potential of CR technology in modeling various respiratory tract diseases, including lung cancer, respiratory viral infections (such as influenza and Covid-19 and etc.), asthma, cystic fibrosis, respiratory papillomatosis, and upper aerodigestive track tumors. Furthermore, we discuss the potential utility of CR in personalized medicine, regenerative medicine, and clinical translation.