Bioartificial Lungs: A Promising Alternative to Traditional Organ Transplantation

End-stage lung disease represents a major challenge in modern medicine. Lung transplantation remains the most effective treatment; however, donor shortage and rejection significantly limit its clinical impact. The engineering of bioartificial lung grafts using patient-derived cells may lead to new therapeutic strategies. Advanced culture conditions enable the formation of functional three-dimensional tissues from lineage-committed cells. Currently, bioartificial grafts capable of gas exchange have been created and transplanted in animal models. Ongoing challenges in tissue engineering include the development of ideal scaffolds and the full maturation of engineered structures to ensure graft longevity after in vivo implantation. With collaborative efforts, the goal is to design patient-derived lung grafts and achieve clinically relevant translational milestones such as airway grafts and disease models.