Scientists grow human mini-lungs in lab

Scientists from the University of Manchester (UK) have grown a mini version of human lungs from stem cells; these lungs can mimic the response of living tissues to various nanomaterials.

The study at the University’s NanoCell Biology Lab at the Centre for Nanotechnology in Medicine was published in the scientific journal Nano Today.

These organ models, called organoids, are three-dimensional biological structures. They are used in order to better understand the effects of various lung diseases, including cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, and COVID-19.

In a new study, researchers investigated the effects of carbon-based nanomaterials on organoids.

Graphene oxide was found to be safely stored in the respiratory system by a substance called secretory mucin. Meanwhile, long and rigid multi-walled carbon nanotubes adversely affect the lungs, causing persistent inflammation and fibrosis.

According to scientists, mini-lungs made of stem cells will considerably reduce the number of animal experiments and make nanotoxicology research more humane.

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