Abstract
Pediatric lung diseases remain a costly worldwide health burden. For many children with end-stage lung disease, lung transplantation remains the only therapeutic option. Due to the limited number of lungs available for transplantation, alternatives to lung transplant are desperately needed. Recently, major improvements in tissue engineering have resulted in newer technology and methodology to develop viable bioengineered lungs. These include critical advances in lung cell biology, stem cell biology, lung extracellular matrix, microfabrication techniques, and orthotopic transplantation of bioartificial lungs. The goal of this short review is to engage the reader’s interest with regard to these emerging concepts and to stimulate their interest to learn more. We review the existing state of the art of lung tissue engineering, and point to emerging paradigms and platforms in the field. Finally, we summarize the challenges and unmet needs that remain to be overcome.
Highlights
The Study of Lung Disease Continues to be Transformed by Biotechnology and Bioengineering The lung is a highly complex organ that accomplishes a great variety of physiological tasks
Bioengineering and pediatric lung disease of bioengineering approaches, have the potential to increase our understanding of its complex biology, improve current therapies to obviate the need for transplant, and possibly increase the number of lungs available for transplant
In the United States, ~30 million people live with end-stage lung disease [55], for which lung transplantation often is the only effective treatment option
Summary
The Study of Lung Disease Continues to be Transformed by Biotechnology and Bioengineering The lung is a highly complex organ that accomplishes a great variety of physiological tasks. Since the first pediatric lung transplant in 1987, the number of lung transplants performed in children is around 100 per year [5]. This small number does not reflect a small clinical need, but rather is an indication of the complexities of lung transplant such as special surgical challenges related to size matching, availability of suitable donor lungs, medical center expertise, and immune system issues [6, 7]. Bioengineering and pediatric lung disease of bioengineering approaches, have the potential to increase our understanding of its complex biology, improve current therapies to obviate the need for transplant, and possibly increase the number of lungs available for transplant. We provide a short review of newer technologies and paradigms driving this exciting endeavor, with the goal to stimulate the reader toward further in-depth reading on the subject
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