Lung organoids, useful tools for investigating epithelial repair after lung injury

Kong, Jing; Wen, Shiyuan; Cao, Wenjing; Yue, Peng; Xu, Xin; Zhang, Yu; Luo, Lisha; Chen, Taigui; Li, Lianbao; Wang, Feng; Tao, Jian; Zhou, Guozhong; Luo, Suyi; Liu, Aihua; Bao, Fukai

Organoids are derived from stem cells or organ-specific progenitors. They display structures and functions consistent with organs in vivo. Multiple types of organoids, including lung organoids, can be generated. Organoids are applied widely in development, disease modelling, regenerative medicine, and other multiple aspects. Various human pulmonary diseases caused by several factors can be induced and lead to different degrees of lung epithelial injury. Epithelial repair involves the participation of multiple cells and signalling pathways. Lung organoids provide an excellent platform to model injury to and repair of lungs. Here, we review the recent methods of cultivating lung organoids, applications of lung organoids in epithelial repair after injury, and understanding the mechanisms of epithelial repair investigated using lung organoids. By using lung organoids, we can discover the regulatory mechanisms related to the repair of lung epithelia. This strategy could provide new insights for more effective management of lung diseases and the development of new drugs.