Scientists are using Lungs-on-Chips to simulate human tissue and prevent serious radiation-induced lung injury


 Radiation therapy is a cornerstone of cancer treatment but it often causes severe collateral damage to the lungs known as radiation induced lung injury or RILI. To better understand and prevent this researchers are moving beyond animal models to use advanced lung on a chip technology. These microfluidic devices simulate the breathing motions and cellular structure of human lung tissue allowing scientists to observe exactly how radiation damages cells at a molecular level. The study is using these chips to test new therapies including antifibrotic drugs that could protect healthy lung tissue during cancer treatment. By providing a highly accurate model of human physiology this technology allows for the rapid screening of potential protective agents bringing us closer to a future where cancer can be irradiated without permanently scarring the patients lungs.

Read the original article at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-31582-1

 

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