The development of three-dimensional (3D) lung organs or tissues using gravitational
methods and bioprinting technologies shows great promise for producing lung tissue
for research, pharmaceutical, and clinical applications. The advancement of innovative
technologies can improve our understanding of lung diseases and, if necessary, enable
the production of replacement lungs for transplantation. The development of functional
organs-on-a-chip and disease-specific lung tissues could provide a deep understanding
of the molecular mechanisms underlying lung diseases and aid the identification of
drug targets. This knowledge has the potential to enhance our understanding of lung
tissue regeneration processes and could lead to the development of more effective
treatments for human lung diseases. So much so that lung transplants in most disease-induced
cases would not be necessary, as the appropriate medications could induce regeneration
of the damaged organ. This review highlights the importance of using a variety of
materials, preparation methods, and sizes of lung tissues in 3D bioprinting technologies
to understand lung function better, test for drug selection during therapy and eventually
produce transplantable organs, if necessary. The review also emphasizes the need for
improvements in legislation and guidelines for researchers aiming to achieve quality-assured
biomanufacturing.
