Lung transplantation is the only option for patients with end-stage lung disease, but there is a shortage of available lung donors. Furthermore, efficiency of lung transplantation has been limited due to primary graft dysfunction. Recent mouse models mimicking lung disease in humans have allowed for deepening our understanding of disease pathomechanisms. Moreover, new techniques such as decellularization and recellularization have opened up new possibilities to contribute to our understanding of the regenerative mechanisms involved in the lung. Stripping the lung of its native cells allows for unprecedented analyses of extracellular matrix and sets a physiologic platform to study the regenerative potential of seeded cells. A comprehensive understanding of the molecular pathways involved for lung development and regeneration in mouse models can be translated to regeneration strategies in higher organisms, including humans. Here we describe and discuss several techniques used for murine lung de- and recellularization, methods for evaluation of efficacy including histology, protein/RNA isolation at the whole lung, as well as lung slices level.
Keywords: Biomaterial; Decellularization; Lung; Precision cut lung slices; Recellularization; Scaffold; Tissue engineering.