150 Chapter 6 Figure 4: Summary of challenges associated with different types of ECM-based 3D lung models for advanced cell culture and the properties of the ideal model for mimicking lung disease, repair and regeneration. As the fields of chemistry, (molecular) biology and biomaterials improve independently, more and more advanced in vitro models for 3D modeling of lung diseases, which is one of their intersection points, will be developed. Although there are challenges for each type of material used for such 3D models, as outlined in the previous section and Figure 4, combining the strengths of different models for building an ideal 3D in vitro lung model based on ECM will be possible in the near future. Such an ideal model would be easily available for both low and high throughput research, in addition to providing the opportunity to alter the mechanical properties without compromising the composition of the model. In concert, using native ECM for such models would enhance the physiological relevance. An ideal 3D model for the lung microenvironment would benefit from the possibility of controlling both the shape and the spatial arrangement of the cells introduced. As lung tissue has very well-defined ECM architecture, resembling this structure in an in vitro model would help researchers understand the influence of ECM architecture in disease, repair and regeneration processes. In summary, ECM-based 3D in vitro models for modeling the lung microenvironment is a rapidly-advancing field and using such models will greatly improve our knowledge of lung disease and regeneration mechanisms.
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