Tissue engineering approaches to treat COPD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A tissue engineering approach to improve lung function and clinical outcome in patients with COPD
IRAS ID
204469
Contact name
Mohammed Haris
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 29 days
Research summary
Research Summary: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is ranked as the third leading global cause of death with an annual associated healthcare cost of £1.3 trillion. COPD is associated with a progressive loss of lung function as a result of chronic bronchitis and emphysema leading eventually to respiratory failure. Current therapies primarily attempt to relieve the symptoms of the disease but do not address the underlying tissue destruction.
This project aims to characterise lung tissue properties from individuals (30 participants in total) with and without COPD. We will also isolate and characterise the cells from their lung tissue, including identifying and quantifying the recently identified distal airway stem cells (DASCs). The tissue used in the study will be obtained from surplus lung tissue following planned surgical interventions (tumour revision and lung volume reduction surgery) with the aim of using the resultant information to produce in vitro tissue engineered lung equivalents (TELEs) with the potential for use as in vitro lung tissue models and tissue engineering-based COPD/emphysema therapies in the future.
All participants will be recruited from patients scheduled to undergo surgery at the Royal Stoke University Hospital and all tissue used in the study will be surplus material. Participation will not alter the medical management that any participant receives, all samples will be anonymised and the participant is not required to participate any further in the study following tissue donation. The laboratory research aspects of the study will take place at Keele University’s Guy Hilton Research Centre facility.Summary of Results:
The aim of this laboratory study was to develop and test new models of lung tissue using cells from samples donated by people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and by healthy volunteers. The long‑term goal was to understand whether lung tissue grown in the laboratory could support future research into lung repair and eventually contribute to the treatment of chronic lung diseases.
The study was significantly affected by administrative delays and, later, by the COVID‑19 pandemic. These challenges reduced the number of participants who could be recruited and limited the availability of staff. As a result, only 6 of the planned 30 participants were recruited and not all planned experiments could be completed.
Despite these limitations, important progress was made with the samples that were available. We successfully collected participant samples and grew key lung cell types in the laboratory, including airway stem cells and lung fibroblasts. Airway stem cells were isolated from all donors and shown to develop into several specialised types of airway cells, confirming their ability to support tissue repair. These cells were expanded and stored for potential use in future ethically approved research.
We also identified a clinically approved gelatin sponge material, Surgispon, that could act as a supportive framework (scaffold) for lung cell growth. After treatment to improve its durability, this scaffold remained stable in laboratory conditions for extended periods and was able to support lung cell attachment and growth.
Using this scaffold, we developed laboratory and ex vivo (outside the body) models of lung tissue using decellularised pig lung slices, which closely resemble human lung structure. These experiments showed that cells could grow on the scaffold and move into the surrounding lung tissue, demonstrating early integration with the lung‑like environment.
Although the study could not be completed as originally planned, including final testing with a larger number of human samples, it successfully generated valuable methods, stored cell resources, and experimental tissue models. These outcomes provide a useful foundation for future research into lung regeneration. Findings from the study were shared through scientific conferences, peer‑reviewed publications, and a doctoral thesis.
We are very grateful to all participants who contributed samples to support this research.REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/WM/0447
Date of REC Opinion
25 Oct 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion