# An Insight on Microfluidic Organ-on-a-Chip Models for PM2.5-Induced Pulmonary Complications

## TL;DR

This review explores how microfluidic lung-on-a-chip models can better simulate PM2.5-induced lung diseases compared to traditional methods.

## Contribution

The paper highlights the potential of lung-on-a-chip models in studying PM2.5 effects on the lungs, offering a novel approach to pulmonary research.

## Key findings

- Traditional 2D cell cultures and animal models are inadequate for replicating real lung conditions.
- Lung-on-a-chip models can simulate the complex lung microenvironment and PM2.5-induced complications.
- Microfluidic organ-on-a-chip technology is advancing as a promising tool for respiratory disease research.

## Abstract

Pulmonary diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disorder,
lung fibrosis, and lung cancer pose a significant burden to global
human health. Many of these complications arise as a result of exposure
to particulate matter (PM), which has been examined in several preclinical
and clinical trials for its effect on several respiratory diseases.
Particulate matter of size less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) has been known to inflict unforeseen repercussions, although data
from epidemiological studies to back this are pending. Conventionally
utilized two-dimensional (2D) cell culture and preclinical animal
models have provided insufficient benefits in emulating the in vivo
physiological and pathological pulmonary conditions. Three-dimensional
(3D) structural models, including organ-on-a-chip models, have experienced
a developmental upsurge in recent times. Lung-on-a-chip models have
the potential to simulate the specific features of the lungs. With
the advancement of technology, an emerging and advanced technique
termed microfluidic organ-on-a-chip has been developed with the aim
of identifying the complexity of the respiratory cellular microenvironment
of the body. In the present Review, the role of lung-on-a-chip modeling
in reproducing pulmonary complications has been explored, with a specific
emphasis on PM2.5-induced pulmonary complications.