Studying the mechanisms of lung repair and regeneration in the human lungs is challenging given their critical role. We have developed a new model, using slices of lung tissue, that can be used to study lung repair and regeneration. The Acid Injury and Repair (AIR) model works by using hydrochloric acid to injure a small part of the tissue slice whilst the surrounding area remains uninjured. This mimics the pattern of injury often observed in lung diseases. The AIR model enables tracking of different cell types, including stem cells as well as providing a platform to test potential new treatments to repair the lungs.
Researchers Sally Kim and Roisin Mongey worked on developing and validating this new tool which was recently published in Biomaterials. You can read about their work on the Imperial Faculty of medicine blog http://wwwf.imperial.ac.uk/blog/imperial-medicine/2021/01/13/a-breath-of-fresh-air-in-the-study-of-lung-repair-and-regeneration/