@article{bibcite_7331,
  keywords = {Apical-out airway organoid (AoAO), Ciliary motility, cryopreservation, Decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM), Mucociliary differentiation, Swarm analysis},
  author = {Zhuowei Gong and Dhruv Bhattaram and Laura Porritt and Kian Golestan and Amir Barati Farimani and Bin Deng and Amy L. Ryan and Daniel J. Weiss and Xi Ren},
  title = {Recapitulating apicobasal tissue polarity in extracellular matrix-incorporated airway organoids},
  abstract = {The airway epithelium is a dynamic barrier that interfaces with the external environment and internal matrix along its apicobasal axis. To recapitulate this spatial organization and associated cell-ECM interactions in an organoid format, we present the decellularized extracellular matrix-incorporated Apical-out Airway Organoid (dECM-AoAO), which integrates basolateral matrix cues through the incorporation of human lung dECM microparticles (dECM-MPs), while maintaining direct apical exposure to the exterior. Compared to ECM-free AoAOs, dECM incorporation diversifies lineage distribution, more closely recapitulating native epithelial composition and responsiveness to pathogenic stimulation. Harnessing dECM-AoAO locomotion driven by outward-facing ciliary beating, we developed an experimental and computational pipeline for batch analysis of organoid motility as a functional readout of ciliary activity. Furthermore, dECM-AoAOs are compatible with cryopreservation, retaining viability, lineage composition, and ciliary function upon revival. Together, this work establishes the dECM-AoAO as a physiologically relevant model system for investigating epithelial-ECM crosstalk during airway homeostasis, pathogenesis, and injury responses.},
  year = {2026},
  journal = {Biomaterials},
  volume = {331},
  pages = {124084},
  month = {2026-08-01},
  issn = {0142-9612},
  url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961226001080},
  doi = {10.1016/j.biomaterials.2026.124084},
}