Organ Model: Lung (Alveolus)
Application: Infectious Disease
Highlights
In this study, researchers used a human Alveolus Lung-Chip to test CRISPR-Cas13 RNA therapeutics targeting conserved regions of the influenza A virus genome. The chip model showed that these crRNAs potently suppressed viral replication and also reduced inflammatory cytokine release and immune cell recruitment, effects not easily captured in animal models. Transcriptomic analyses revealed minimal off-target activity, indicating strong specificity in human primary lung tissue. These findings highlight Organ-Chips as a valuable preclinical platform for evaluating both efficacy and safety of CRISPR-based antiviral therapies.
