How the mini-lung aids research

Transplanting a mini-lung into the body of someone with COPD? That’s not quite how we should imagine it. But what does it actually mean? We asked prof.dr. Reinoud Gosens, a pharmacologist at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. He is one of the consortium members of BREATH, the international research collaboration focused on lung tissue repair, initiated and financially supported by Longfonds.

What is a Mini-Lung?

Reinoud Gosens explains: A mini-lung consists of small clusters of lung tissue cells, similar to how they naturally occur in the lungs. These small tissue clusters can still grow and reach the right cell types, just as they do in the lungs. That’s why we use them in our research.”

Drug Research with the Mini-Lung?

“We primarily use the mini-lung for drug research. The mini-lung allows us to closely study epithelial cells (the cells that line the lungs) in a culture dish, such as a petri dish. By adding drugs to the mini-lung, we can observe whether it grows better. If the mini-lung grows better, it might indicate that the actual lung tissue can also recover more effectively.”

The Mini-Lung as a Transplantation Tool

“What’s interesting is that the mini-lung isn’t just useful for drug research—it can also serve as a transplantation tool. The mini-lung can develop into healthy lung cells, which can then be transplanted into a diseased lung to promote tissue repair. This is a relatively new application, but it is currently being explored within the BREATH project.”

Restoring Lung Tissue

“Science isn’t always predictable or entirely within our control. If we succeed in bringing a drug to market, it will still take about five to ten years. At the same time, we must acknowledge that success is not guaranteed.

However, I firmly believe that restoring damaged lung tissue is possible. Our goal is to create a future where having a diseased lung doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the road—where we can continue working toward a cure.”

Research Takes Time

Longfonds supports fundamental, translational, and clinical research. Before a treatment for lung diseases becomes available to patients, a long and careful research process—often spanning more than ten years—must be completed. Scientific research is conducted meticulously, step by step.