Abstract

The need for target tissue avatars is critical to expedite the development of cell therapeutics and conduct precise pharmacological studies. Since organ functions depend on interactions among various cell types in a three-dimensional structure, replicating this organization is essential for establishing a physiologically relevant in vitro model. We present our work on generating functional human lung assembloids. Organoids represent a major advance in the 3D culture field, but they are still incomplete versions of real tissues. Assembloids are 3D structures formed from the fusion and integration of multiple cell types. We first developed human airway organoids (hAO) from healthy lung tissues obtained from donors with spontaneous pneumothorax. From 14 donors, we successfully generated hAO, characterized by spherical shape and a typical diameter of 200-300?m, featuring an inner mucus-filled cavity. Cells were organized in a pseudostratified epithelium with a central hollow lumen, and markers confirmed their airway identity. Next, we isolated and characterized fibroblast-like cells from the same lung biopsies. We then created 3D human lung assembloids by combining hAO, lung fibroblasts, and an endothelial cell line. Confocal microscopy and histochemical analysis confirmed the well-organized structure of the assembloids, mimicking the lung by integrating the three cellular elements. In conclusion, reproducible healthy airway assembloids offer an advanced in vitro avatar to study lung morphology, functions and cellular interactions. Since we induced fibrosis and inflammation in this model, it will be useful for analyze drug responses, understand lung disease pathways, and develop new targeted therapies.