Developing 3D printed lung models

Inhaled therapies have been a cornerstone in the treatment of patients living with chronic respiratory diseases. While there has been significant progress and research activity within the field of inhalation therapy, only a handful of new inhaled products have successfully progressed to market. 

The failure to translate promising inhaled drugs to the clinic will continue to exist due to the absence of a predictive in vitro platform that could accurately mimic the physiological conditions and inhalation processes of the respiratory tract.

We aim to develop an artificial respiratory model that integrates airway replicas with 3D bioprinting as a physiologically relevant platform to assess the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of novel inhalation therapeutics in vitro. Additionally, the study will also validate the use of the model by testing different inhalation therapies and comparing them to industry-approved testing methodologies.

If you are interested in applying for this PhD opportunity and would like more information, please contact Dr Hui Xin Ong at huixin.ong@mq.edu.au.