iPSC-Derived Airway Epithelial Cells: Progress, Promise, and Challenges

Abstract

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generated from somatic cell sources are pluripotent and capable of indefinite expansion in vitro. They provide an unlimited source of cells that can be differentiated into lung progenitor cells for potential clinical use in pulmonary regenerative medicine. This review gives a comprehensive overview of recent progress toward the use of iPSCs to generate proximal and distal airway epithelial cells and mix lung organoids. Furthermore, their potential applications and future challenges for the field are discussed, with a focus on the technological hurdles that must be cleared before stem cell therapeutics can be used for clinical treatment.

Keywords: ATII cells; airway epithelium; basal cells; directed differentiation; human induced pluripotent stem cells; lung development; organoids.