UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center
3-D bioengineered lung-like tissue (left) resembles adult human lung (right).
FINDINGS
By coating tiny gel beads with lung-derived stem cells and then allowing them to self-assemble into the shapes of the air sacs found in human lungs, researchers at theĀ Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLAĀ have succeeded in creating three-dimensional lung āorganoids.ā The laboratory-grown lung-like tissue can be used to study diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which has traditionally been difficult to study using conventional methods.
āWhile we havenāt built a fully functional lung, weāve been able to take lung cells and place them in the correct geometrical spacing and pattern to mimic a human lung,ā said Dr. Brigitte Gomperts, an associate professor of pediatric hematology/oncology and the studyās lead author.
BACKGROUND
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic lung disease characterized by scarring of the lungs. The scarring makes the lungs thick and stiff, which over time results in progressively worsening shortness of breath and lack of oxygen to the brain and vital organs. After diagnosis, most people with the disease live about three to five years. Though researchers do not know what causes idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in all cases, for a small percentage of people it runs in their families. Additionally, cigarette smoking and exposure to certain types of dust can increase the risk of developing the disease.
To study the effect of genetic mutations or drugs on lung cells, researchers have previously relied on two-dimensional cultures of the cells. But when they take cells from people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and grow them on these flat cultures, the cells appear healthy. āScientists have really not been able to model lung scarring in a dish,ā said Gomperts, who is a member of the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center. The inability to model idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in the laboratory makes it difficult to study the biology of the disease and design possible treatments.
METHOD
Gomperts and her colleagues started with stem cells created using cells from adult lungs. They used those cells to coat sticky hydrogel beads, and then they partitioned these beads into small wells, each only 7 millimeters across. Inside each well, the lung cells grew around the beads, which linked them and formed an evenly distributed three-dimensional pattern. To show that these tiny organoids mimicked the structure of actual lungs, the researchers compared the lab-grown tissues with real sections of human lung.
āThe technique is very simple,ā said Dan Wilkinson, a graduate student in the department of materials science and engineering and the paperās first author. āWe can make thousands of reproducible pieces of tissue that resemble lung and contain patient-specific cells.ā
Moreover, when Wilkinson and Gomperts added certain molecular factors to the 3-D cultures, the lungs developed scars similar to those seen in the lungs of people who have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, something that could not be accomplished using two-dimensional cultures of these cells.
IMPACT
Using the new lung organoids, researchers will be able to study the biological underpinnings of lung diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and also test possible treatments for the diseases. To study an individualās disease, or what drugs might work best in their case, clinicians could collect cells from the person, turn them into stem cells, coax those stem cells to differentiate into lung cells, then use those cells in 3-D cultures. Because itās so easy to create many tiny organoids at once, researchers could screen the effect of many drugs. āThis is the basis for precision medicine and personalized treatments,ā Gomperts said.
Learn more:Ā UCLA researchers use stem cells to grow 3-D lung-in-a-dish
The Latest on: Precision medicine
via Google News
The Latest on: Precision medicine
- Mount Sinai to build engineering, precision medicine center to accelerate development of new techon May 13, 2022 at 8:10 am
New York City-based Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Troy, N.Y.-based Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will co-create a center for precision medicine and engineering. The Center for ...
- Precision Medicine Market [TOTAL SALES] 2022 : In Depth Industry Analysis on Size, Cost Structure and Prominent Key Players Analysis 2030on May 13, 2022 at 6:44 am
Quadintel published a new report on the Precision Medicine Market. The research report consists of thorough information about demand, growth, ...
- Worldwide Precision Medicine Industry to 2027 - Featuring AstraZeneca, Illumina and Pfizer Among Others - ResearchAndMarkets.comon May 13, 2022 at 6:00 am
The "Precision Medicine Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global precision ...
- Roche at 125 years old: A major pivot to COVID-19 while focusing on precision medicineon May 13, 2022 at 2:29 am
The company has been focusing on developing tests that can help physicians decide the best treatments for patients for a range of diseases, from cancer to infectious disease, an approach known as ...
- Milwaukee-Area Family Invests $10 Million in Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Researchon May 12, 2022 at 1:41 pm
MILWAUKEE, May 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) has dedicated its Genomic Sciences and Precision Medicine Center as the Linda T. and John A. Mellowes Center for Genomic ...
- Mount Sinai Medical Center Takes a Precision Medicine Approach for their Patientson May 12, 2022 at 4:00 am
As part of a transformational effort to bring precision medicine into routine healthcare, Mount Sinai Medical Center, serving Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, is adding ActX Genomic Decision Support to ...
- Assessing Cost Savings, Waste Reduction From Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicineon May 11, 2022 at 10:55 am
David Skomo, and Nick Page, PharmD, of WellDyne offered their perspectives on recent developments in precision medicine at the 2022 Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit.
- Precision Medicine 2018on April 27, 2022 at 5:00 pm
Our 3rd Annual Precision Medicine Virtual Conference is now available On Demand! Precision Medicine 2018 will continue the dialogue and provide updates on new efforts in drug discoveries, developments ...
- Precision Medicine Market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 10%, driven by this, the market valuation is set to reach USD 226330 Million in 2028on April 26, 2022 at 5:52 am
Apr 26, 2022 (The Expresswire) -- In 2022, the global Precision Medicine market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 10%. The growing use of Precision Medicine in recycling processes across a ...
via Bing News