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[ HUMAN VALIDATION / LUNG & INHALATION ASSESSMENT ]

Lung & Inhalation Assessment

How does an inhaled material affect respiratory tissue?

[ LUNG ]

Lung & Inhalation Assessment

How does an inhaled material affect respiratory tissue?

Small airway · Tissue schematic
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Conceptual view of the small airway epithelium, cilia, mucus layer and basement membrane. Not an experimental image; not to scale.

Small airway · Tissue schematic

Conceptual view of the small airway epithelium, cilia, mucus layer and basement membrane. Not an experimental image; not to scale.

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Study approach

  1. Define the material, exposure duration and control condition; distinguish exposure delivery from the biological response being assessed.
  2. Select a respiratory model and establish the required culture interface and baseline observations.
  3. Apply the planned exposure, then collect tissue response and functional or safety readouts at the defined time points.
  4. Compare exposed and control conditions, relate the response to the exposure history and identify follow-up questions.
STUDY OUTPUT
An exposure record, time-linked response data and an interpretation of the differences between conditions.

Related platforms

MPS-COREMPS-LITE
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[ APPLICATION INSIGHTS ]

A closer look at the biology.

Airflow & penetration
Low shear stress LSS
High shear stress HSS
DAPIMUC5BLiposomes
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Representative confocal images under low shear stress (LSS) and high shear stress (HSS). Blue: nuclei (DAPI); green: mucus (MUC5B); red: DiI-labeled liposomes. Scale bars: 20 μm.

Source: “Inhalable Mucociliary-On-Chip System Revealing Pulmonary Clearance Dynamics in Nanodrug Delivery.” ACS Nano (2025), Figure 5A–B.
DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c11693.

01

How does breathing airflow affect liposome penetration?

Explore how airflow conditions influence the penetration of inhaled liposomes through the airway mucus barrier.

In this study, liposomes showed deeper penetration into the cellular layer under high shear stress than under low shear stress.

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Normal
COPD
Cilia highlighted in yellow
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Representative images of normal and COPD small airway epithelial models, showing differences in ciliary morphology and coverage. Cilia are highlighted in yellow.

Source: Chen et al., Materials Today Bio 13 (2022), 100182.
DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2021.100182.

02

Does your treatment affect ciliary function in COPD?

Investigate treatment-related changes in ciliary beat frequency and particle transport in a human small airway model.

Read the study
Watch cilia motion · 10 s

Selected lung-on-chip research images. Discuss study context and methods with our team.

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[ PLAN THE STUDY ]

See how the work connects.

Review the shared study process for model selection, controls, execution and reporting.

View study workflow

[ NEXT STEP ]

Advance Your Next Drug Program with Human-Relevant Evidence.

Tell us what you’re working on. We’ll help you explore the right model, platform or collaboration.

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