Project description DEENESFRITPL How to building a lung Many people with end-stage lung disease have no other option than to undergo lung transplantation. There are, however, not enough donor lungs to meet clinical demand, heightening the need for new options that can increase available tissue for lung transplantation. The EU-funded 3DBIOLUNG project will focus on generating lung tissue in the lab using bioengineering approaches and explore whether new advances in 3D printing and 3D bioprinting can be a possible option for lung tissue for transplantation. To do this, it will use custom 3D bioprinters to generate constructs imitating lung tissue, 3D bioprint hybrid murine and human lung tissue models, and test gas exchange, angiogenesis and in vivo immune responses. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Chronic lung diseases are increasing in prevalence with over 65 million patients worldwide. Lung transplantation remains the only potential option at end-stage disease. Around 4000 patients receive lung transplants annually with more awaiting transplantation, including 1000 patients in Europe. New options to increase available tissue for lung transplantation are desperately needed.An exciting new research area focuses on generating lung tissue ex vivo using bioengineering approaches. Scaffolds can be generated from synthetic or biologically-derived (acellular) materials, seeded with cells and grown in a bioreactor prior to transplantation. Ideally, scaffolds would be seeded with cells derived from the transplant recipient, thus obviating the need for long-term immunosuppression. However, functional regeneration has yet to be achieved. New advances in 3D printing and 3D bioprinting (when cells are printed) indicate that this once thought of science-fiction concept might finally be mature enough for complex tissues, including lung. 3D bioprinting addresses a number of concerns identified in previous approaches, such as a) patient heterogeneity in acellular human scaffolds, b) anatomical differences in xenogeneic sources, c) lack of biological cues on synthetic materials and d) difficulty in manufacturing the complex lung architecture. 3D bioprinting could be a reproducible, scalable, and controllable approach for generating functional lung tissue.The aim of this proposal is to use custom 3D bioprinters to generate constructs mimicking lung tissue using an innovative approach combining primary cells, the engineering reproducibility of synthetic materials, and the biologically conductive properties of acellular lung (hybrid). We will 3D bioprint hybrid murine and human lung tissue models and test gas exchange, angiogenesis and in vivo immune responses. This proposal will be a critical first step in demonstrating feasibility of 3D bioprinting lung tissue. Fields of science engineering and technologyenvironmental biotechnologybioremediationbioreactorsmedical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologyengineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineeringadditive manufacturingmedical and health sciencesclinical medicinetransplantation Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2018-STG - ERC Starting Grant Call for proposal ERC-2018-STG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-STG - Starting Grant Coordinator LUNDS UNIVERSITET Net EU contribution € 1 499 975,00 Address Paradisgatan 5c 22100 Lund Sweden See on map Region Södra Sverige Sydsverige Skåne län Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all LUNDS UNIVERSITET Sweden Net EU contribution € 1 499 975,00 Address Paradisgatan 5c 22100 Lund See on map Region Södra Sverige Sydsverige Skåne län Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Other funding € 0,00
