The invention relates to a three-dimensional in vitro alveolar lung model comprising essentially the four cells types as follows: alveolar type II epithelial cells able to secrete (lung laying) surfactant, endothelial cells which forms the inner lining of capillaries providing a permeable barrier, dendritic-like cells, such as non-differentiated THP-1, linking innate and adaptive immunity and macrophage-like cells, able to participate to defense mechanisms by ingesting foreign materials by phagocytosis. The invention also relates to a process for preparing said model, and its use for assessing the irritation potential or toxicity of inhalable products such as particles or molecules on the alveolar barrier of lungs, and also for determining and/or predicting the sensitizing effects of inhalable products such as particles or molecules on the alveolar barrier of lungs.

The present invention relates to microfluidic fluidic systems and methods for the in vitro modeling diseases of the lung and small airway. In one embodiment, the invention relates to a system for testing responses of a microfluidic Small Airway-on-Chip infected with one or more infectious agents (e.g. respiratory viruses) as a model of respiratory disease exacerbation (e.g. asthma exacerbation). In one embodiment, this disease model on a microfluidic chip allows for a) the testing of anti-inflammatory and/or anti-viral compounds introduced into the system, as well as b) the monitoring of the participation, recruitment and/or movement of immune cells, including the transmigration of cells. In particular, this system provides, in one embodiment, an in-vitro platform for modeling severe asthma as “Severe Asthma-on-Chip.” In some embodiments, this invention provides a model of viral-induced asthma in humans for use in identifying potentially effective treatments.

The described invention provides compositions and methods for treating a fibrotic condition in a subject. The methods include administering a therapeutic amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising synthetic extracellular vesicles (EVs) and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

Hybrid suspension cultures supplementing soluble extracellular matrix (ECM) for growth of organoids is disclosed. Viable lung organoid from epithelial, endothelial, and fibroblast human stable cell lines in suspension culture are also disclosed.

The present disclosure provides a newly-identified transitional cell state in alveolar regeneration, models to ablate lung alveolar type-1 cells that leads to lung fibrosis and emphysema, a scalable, an ex vivo lung fibrosis model that uses co-cultured lung fibroblasts and pre-alveolar type-1 transitional cell state (PATS) for the use of disease modeling and drug screening, and methods of using same.

The described invention provides compositions and methods for treating a fibrotic condition in a subject. The methods include administering a therapeutic amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising synthetic extracellular vesicles (EVs) and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

The present invention is related to 6-6 Fused Bicyclic Heteroaryl Compounds of the Formula A2 or A1 and their Use as LATS Inhibitors, or a salt, stereoisomer or pharmaceutical composition thereof; wherein the variables are as defined herein.

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The present invention further relates to a method of LATS inhibition in a cell population using a compound of Formula A1, or a salt, stereoisomer or pharmaceutical composition thereof. The present invention further provides a method for manufacturing compounds of the invention, and its therapeutic uses. The invention further provides methods to their preparation, to their medical use, their use in the treatment and management of diseases or disorders.

The invention relates to improved culture methods for expanding epithelial stem cells and obtaining organoids, to culture media involved in said methods, and to uses of said organoids.

Methods of using human airway stem cells in lung epithelial engineering, optionally wherein the cells are contacted with a gamma secretase inhibitor, bioartificial airway organs produced thereby, and the use thereof, e.g., for transplantation. Also methods of treating a bio-artificial matrix with Tenascin-C and/or fibrillin 2.

The invention relates to improved culture methods for expanding epithelial stem cells and obtaining organoids, to culture media involved in said methods, and to uses of said organoids.