Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is currently the most fatal form of idiopathic interstitial lung disease in which persistent lung injuries result in scar tissue formation. Provided are methods and compositions for the treatment of pulmonary conditions such as fibrosis. Lung spheroid cell-derived conditioned media (LSC-CM) and exosomes (LSC-EXO) are used to treat different models of lung injury. Inhalation treatment with LSC-CM and LSC-EXO-derived compositions can attenuate and/or reverse bleomycin- and silica-induced fibrosis, reestablish normal alveolar structure and decrease extracellular matrix accumulation.

Described herein are methods and compositions for regulation of the p53 pathway, providing intrinsic “sternness” allowing for their efficient in vitro expansion following isolation. Pharmacologic approaches to modulate p53 signaling supports expansion of stem cells, including greater clonal expansion of lung stem cells when compared to use of other small molecules such as ROCK inhibitor Y27632 alone. Effects of combined treatment with Pifithrin-α and Y27632 are additive. The current invention involves use of drugs that target the p53 pathway to reversibly regulate stem cell expansion in vitro for banking of stem cells and for pre-conditioning of stem cells prior to orthotopic transplantation.

The present disclosure provides methods for generating lung progenitor cells, and populations of cells made using the methods. The lung progenitors and related compositions can be used as therapeutic treatments for various pulmonary disorders or related injuries.

Described herein are methods and compositions related to induced alveolar epithelial type 2 cells (iAEC2s), e.g., artificially-produced epithelial type 2 cells.

An in vitro microfluidic organ-on-chip device is described herein that mimics the structure and at least one function of specific areas of the epithelial system in vivo. In particular, a stem cell-based Lung-on-Chip is described. This in vitro microfluidic system can be used for modeling differentiation of cells on-chip into lung cells, e.g., a lung (Lung-On-Chip), bronchial (Airway-On-Chip; small-Airway-On-Chip), alveolar sac (Alveolar-On-Chip), etc., for use in modeling disease states of derived tissue, i.e. as healthy, pre-disease and diseased tissues. Additionally, stem cells under differentiation protocols for deriving (producing) differentiated lung cells off-chips may be seeded onto microfluidic devices at any desired point during the in vitro differentiation pathway for further differentiation on-chip or placed on-chip before, during or after terminal differentiation. Additionally, these microfluidic stem cell-based Lung-on-Chip allow identification of cells and cellular derived factors driving disease states in addition to drug testing for diseases, infections and for reducing inflammation effecting lung alveolar and/or epithelial regions. Further, fluidic devices are provided seeded with primary alveolar cells for use in providing a functional Type II and Type I cell layer, wherein Type II cells express and secrete surfactants, such as Surfactant B (Surf B; SP-B) and Surfactant C (Surf C; SP-C), which were detectable at the protein level by antibody staining in Type II cells. A number of uses are contemplated for the devices and cells, including but not limited to, for use under inflammatory conditions, in drug development and testing, and for individualized (personalized) medicine. Moreover, an ALI-M was developed for supporting multiple cell types in co-cultures with functional Type II and Type I cells.

The invention disclosed herein generally relates to methods and systems for growing, expanding and/or obtaining 3-dimensional lung-like epithelium comprising cells having SOX9 protein activity and SOX2+ protein activity. In particular, the invention disclosed herein relates to methods and systems for growing human cells having SOX9 protein activity and SOX2+ protein activity in vitro, and for promoting pluripotent stem cell derived ventral-anterior foregut spheroid tissue into 3-dimensional lung-like epithelium comprising cells having SOX9 protein activity and SOX2+ protein activity.

A method of conditioning a subject in need of transplantation of progenitor cells in suspension of a tissue of interest is disclosed. The method comprising: (a) administering to a subject a therapeutically effective amount of an agent capable of inducing damage to the tissue of interest, wherein the damage results in proliferation of resident stem cells in the tissue; and subsequently (b) subjecting the subject to an agent which ablates the resident stem cells in the tissue. A method of transplanting progenitor cells in suspension of a tissue of interest to a subject in need thereof is also disclosed.

A method of conditioning a subject in need of transplantation of progenitor cells in suspension of a tissue of interest is disclosed. The method comprising: (a) administering to a subject a therapeutically effective amount of an agent capable of inducing damage to the tissue of interest, wherein the damage results in proliferation of resident stem cells in the tissue; and subsequently (b) subjecting the subject to an agent which ablates the resident stem cells in the tissue. A method of transplanting progenitor cells in suspension of a tissue of interest to a subject in need thereof is also disclosed.

The invention is directed to a method for producing an edible composition, comprising incubating a three-dimensional porous scaffold and a plurality of cell types comprising: myoblasts or progenitor cells thereof, at least one type of extracellular (ECM)-secreting cell and endothelial cells or progenitor cells thereof, and inducing myoblasts differentiation into myotubes.

Described herein are new methods for making lung bud organoids (LBOs) that have the capacity of developing into branching airways and alveolar structures that a least partially recapitulate human lung development from mammalian, preferably human, pluripotent stem cells including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSC), either by culturing branched LBO in a 3D matrix or by transplanting the LBO under the kidney capsule of immune deficient mice. Branched LBOs contain pulmonary endoderm and mesoderm compatible with pulmonary mesenchyme, and undergo branching morphogenesis. Also described are LBOs harboring certain mutations that induce a fibrotic phenotype, and methods of making same. The mutated (B)LBOs can be used for screening agents that may treat pulmonary fibrosis.