“A 3D Biomimetic Lung Organ Tissue Equivalent (OTE) Model for Fibrosis Studies and Anti-Fibrotic Drug Evaluation”

Vikram Surendran, a Ph.D. candidate at Wake Forest University, received IFER funding from 2024-2025 for his project, “A 3D Biomimetic Lung Organ Tissue Equivalent (OTE) Model for Fibrosis Studies and Anti-Fibrotic Drug Evaluation.” Vikram will be validating a multi-cellular 3D lung organ tissue equivalent model to better study lung fibrosis, a life-threatening disease with no cure. His model recreates the natural interface between air and lung, providing a more accurate platform to understand fibrosis progression and evaluate the effectiveness of potential treatments. By validating this model and screening drugs, Vikram aims to demonstrate the model’s reliability for predicting drugs responses, which his crucial for the rapid adoption of non-animal models.