Modeling Fire-Related Smoke Inhalation Injury Using the Human
Lung-on-a-Chip and Organoid Platform: Pathogenesis Insights and
Therapeutic Evaluation
Abstract
Fire-related smoke inhalation-induced acute lung injury (SI-ALI) is a
prevalent condition in modern fires, characterized by high mortality and
a lack of targeted therapeutic options. Previous research has been
hindered by instability in smoke generation and modeling methods,
limiting the investigation of SI-ALI mechanisms. This study, for the
first time, utilized organ-on-a-chip and organoid technologies,
optimizing chip design and precisely controlling smoke generation from
non-metallic materials to establish a human-relevant, physiologically
accurate model of fire-related SI-ALI. The results demonstrate that this
model effectively simulates the alveolar-capillary barrier and
replicates key pathological features of lung injury, including oxidative
stress, apoptosis, immune cell adhesion, inflammatory responses,
capillary leakage, and mitochondrial damage. Injury responses of
endothelial and epithelial cells to smoke exposure were thoroughly
assessed at the organ level. Integrating proteomics and molecular
biology techniques, along with comparisons to animal models, identified
disease-specific pathways related to the spliceosome and carbon
metabolism, as well as pathogenic molecules such as
catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and nitrilase 1 (NIT1). Furthermore,
molecular docking of COMT revealed potential therapeutic candidates from
the FDA-approved drug library, including Ractopamine HCl and
Bimatoprost. The efficacy of intravenous vitamin C combined with
nebulized budesonide was validated on the chip model, establishing a
foundation for clinical applications. This study provides a robust model
for investigating fire-related SI-ALI and offers novel insights into
underlying mechanisms and therapeutic development.