Breathing New Life Into Lung Transplantation Therapy

Abstract

Approximately 1,000–1,500 lung transplants per year are performed in the United States for various indications. However, there is a significant shortage of suitable donor lungs, and many on waiting lists die before a lung becomes available. In contrast to cadaveric kidneys, which have been successfully utilized for many years, the use of cadaveric lungs is not yet feasible. However, the decellularization of whole cadaveric lungs and their subsequent recellularization with fetal or neonatal cells in rodent models may provide an alternative approach for the generation of transplantable lungs or lung tissue.