Recent advances in lung-on-a-chip technology for modeling respiratory disease

Tissue engineering approaches, including those to functional lung tissues, are finely honed by the inclusion of upgraded devices that mimic biophysical and biochemical features in vivo. Perfusion culture is one of these essential biophysical characteristics enabled by the introduction of microfluidic devices in recent years. This review links the importance of dynamic culture for in vitro maintenance of functional lung cells to the modeling of respiratory disease. We identify and discuss different parameters for fabricating the requisite microfluidic models for lung cells, as well as their application in modeling lung diseases caused by external factors such as smoking and pollution. The possibility of creating a multi-organ-on-a-chip to establish a more physiologically relevant model is highlighted. Overall, the focus is on different prospects for the in vitro modeling approach and for lungs-on-a-chip for developing advanced, reliable technology to analyze the pathophysiology of respiratory diseases and screen potential treatments. Graphic abstract