Using a micro-physiological system to prolong the preservation of ex vivo lung tissue

Current in vitro and in vivo disease models have been reported to lack sufficient translation to human. Precision-Cut Lung Slices (PCLS) are viable sections of lung tissue and have been described to be a translational model for the ex vivo assessment of pharmacological and toxicological compounds. In most studies PCLS were cultured under static conditions. These lung sections, however, suffer from the limited viability. Here we present a novel modular microphysiological system (MPS) to prolong the cultivation of ex vivo lung tissue. A tailored MPS setup was designed using the PDMS free modular plug&play MPS construction kit. PCLS from mice were cultivated for up to one week under static versus perfused conditions. Using the MPS technology enabled a prolonged culture period with improved viability as shown by lowered lactate dehydrogenase release and improved membrane integrity. Using this technology might allow us to use PCLS for longer culture periods such as e.g. repeated dose toxicity or pharmacology studies.