Alveolar organoids: from model systems to applications in respiratory diseases

Abstract Organoid technology has emerged as a research hotspot in the biomedical field in recent years, providing important methodologies for disease modeling, drug screening, and regenerative medicine. Alveolar organoids serve as crucial models for studying respiratory diseases, and their technological evolution and application expansion reflect key advances in this field. This article systematically reviews the developmental history of organoids, provides an in-depth comparison of the applicability and limitations of different culture and characterization strategies for alveolar organoids, summarizes and critically analyzes alveolar organoid models established for common respiratory diseases, and offers perspectives on future directions in this area.