3D printed airway tissues reveal how the body copes with aviation and spaceflight extremes
According to Texas A&M, researchers are using 3D bioprinting to study how human airway cells respond to extreme heat and pressure – conditions faced by pilots and astronauts that traditional 2D cultures can’t realistically model. Led by Dr. Zhijian ‘ZJ’ Pei from the College of Engineering and Dr. Hongmin Qin from the College of Arts and Sciences, and supported by the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the project aims to improve aviation and spaceflight safety while advancing respiratory disease research and drug discovery.
“By investigating how 3D bioprinted samples embedded with lung cells respond to physical stress, we’re advancing the fundamental principles of the effects of extreme environments on human biological systems,” said Pei. Using a gel-like bioink loaded with living cells, the team prints 3D samples, creating structures that mimic native tissue more accurately than flat cultures. “With our 3D approach, we can closely mimic native tissue and their microenvironments, enabling accurate studies of viability, proliferation, and stress responses,” said Qin.
These models help researchers understand how extreme temperatures, pressures, and oxygen limitations affect lung tissue. Flight crews and astronauts can suffer dangerous lung fluid buildup, heat-induced tissue damage, or organ failure. “Our findings shed light on how lung cells respond to physiological and mechanical stressors, including variations in pressure and temperature,” said Qin. “Potential applications could enhance safety protocols for pilots and astronauts in low-orbit conditions.”
The work also provides a more realistic platform for studying respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and could accelerate drug testing. Long-term, the researchers aim to create bioengineered lung tissues for laboratory use. “Our long-term goal is to develop engineered lung tissues in a controlled laboratory setting, providing a more realistic model for research than traditional 2D cell cultures,” said Qin.
A key challenge is maintaining cell survival during printing. “Even small adjustments in the bioprinting process can dramatically affect cell viability and proliferation,” said Qin. In a Biomimetics study, the team showed that higher extrusion pressures increased cell death. In Bioengineering, they reported that temperatures up to 55°C triggered oxidative stress and reduced viability. “The pressure and temperature findings highlight the need for precise techniques to preserve the viability of lung cells in 3D bioprinted samples, and demonstrate how the cells respond to environmental stressors,” said Qin.
The Texas A&M team also created an optimized 4:1 collagen-alginate bioink that maintained 85% cell viability for six days. “Defining the right bioprinting parameters allows us to replicate realistic conditions while preserving cell function,” said Pei. “We are bridging the gap between concept and applications that make a tangible difference.”
