Compositions and methods are provided for the culture of mammalian distal lung organoids that robustly preserve and propagate distal lung alveoli and bronchioles en bloc with infiltrating endogenous immune cells and mesenchyme as a cohesive unit without artificial reconstitution, allowing analysis of the dynamics of tissue-level inflammation upon respiratory infection.

The invention described herein relates to methods of isolating non-embryonic stem cell, e.g., adult stem cell, from a non-embryonic tissue, e.g., an adult tissue or organ. Non-embryonic stem cells (e.g., adult stem cells) thus isolated from the various tissues or organs can self-renew or propagate indefinitely in vitro, are multipotent and can differentiate into the various differentiated cell types normally found within the tissue or organ from which the stem cells are isolated. In addition, the isolated stem cells can be propagated through clonal expansion of a single isolated stem cell, to produce a clone of which at least about 40%, 70%, or 90% or more cells within the clone can be further passaged as single cell originated clones.

Methods and systems are provided for a stem cell organ device including an array of alternating stem cell channels and fluid channels. In one example, a method may include loading a stem cell channel with stem cells and flowing blood through a fluid channel in order to allow an exchange of molecules between the stem cells and the blood.

Provided herein are methods and compositions relating, in part, to the generation of human progenitor cells committed to the lung lineage and uses of such cells for treatment of lung diseases/disorders or injury to the lung. Whether an adult stem cell can be isolated from human adult lung remains controversial in the art and at present, methods for isolating and using adult lung stem cells from humans lack reproducibility. Thus, the methods and compositions described herein are advantageous over the present state of knowledge in the art and permit the generation of human lung progenitor cells for treatment, tissue engineering, and screening assays.

Provided is a structure with which a lung progenitor cells can proliferate while retaining an ability to differentiate into an alveolar epithelial cell and an airway epithelial cell. A structure of the present invention includes a core portion that includes a cell population, and an outer shell portion that covers at least a part of the core portion and contains a hydrogel. The structure has a storage elastic modulus of 150 Pa or more and/or the hydrogel contains alginic acid. The cell population contains an alveolar epithelial cell, an airway epithelial cell, and/or a progenitor cell thereof.

Methods and systems are provided for a stem cell organ device including an array of alternating stem cell channels and fluid channels. In one example, a method may include loading a stem cell channel with stem cells and flowing blood through a fluid channel in order to allow an exchange of molecules between the stem cells and the blood.

A composition of matter is provided comprising a devitalized, acellular tissue-derived scaffold seeded with differentiated cells, particularly pancreatic islet cells, wherein the cells can maintain cell-specific function or structure in culture on the scaffold. Methods of generating same and uses thereof are also provided.

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

The present invention provides compositions and methods of preparing airway cells. In one aspect, an epithelial airway cell derived from an induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell characterized by expression of airway cell surface markers and an ability to proliferate is described. In another aspect, methods of differentiating an iPS into an epithelial airway cell is provided. Engineered lungs, methods of making such engineered lungs comprising the epithelial airway cells and treating respiratory disorders are also disclosed.

A composition of matter is provided comprising a devitalized, acellular tissue-derived scaffold seeded with differentiated cells, particularly pancreatic islet cells, wherein the cells can maintain cell-specific function or structure in culture on the scaffold. Methods of generating same and uses thereof are also provided.