Chronic lung disease remains one of the world’s biggest health challenges, yet treatments have changed little in decades. One in four people will develop a lung condition in their lifetime, and up to one in five or six will die from a lung-related illness. Current drug development is slow, imprecise, and often fails to reflect the complexity of human lungs.
SoCRATES is a pioneering programme that hopes to change this through the creation of mini lungs, known scientifically as lung organoids. These tiny, three-dimensional cell cultures mimic the structure and function of real lungs, allowing scientists to study disease in unprecedented detail.
Developed from patient samples at University Hospital Southampton, mini lungs can be exposed to:
- viruses
- bacteria
- pollutants
- cigarette smoke
This exposure helps us understand how lung tissue responds and how new treatments might work.
Using advanced imaging technologies such as custom-built light sheet microscopes, we can rapidly generate detailed 3D models and test new drugs in ways that were never before possible.
By making preclinical drug testing faster, cheaper, and more accurate, we want to revolutionise how therapies for chronic lung disease and infection are developed. This innovation could shorten the drug development process by years, enable more personalised treatments, and ultimately improve outcomes for millions of patients living with lung disease worldwide.
Our mission
Creating a cross-disciplinary advanced cell culture group facilitating the development of 3D models of disease.
Our vision
Utilising ex-vivo models to accelerate identification of new therapeutic approaches. Understanding host-pathogen interaction and drug discovery.
Our strengths
Embracing expertise and encouraging collaboration across the University of Southampton, other academic centres and industrial partners.
Our cross-disciplinary working group galvanises collaboration and is a focal point for anyone planning to move into 3-D cell culture modelling and train PhD students.
As researchers at University Hospital Southampton, we are privileged to have access to clinical samples directly from patients. Once collected, samples are sent to a biorepository such as a tissue bank, or they get processed for integrated multi-omic analysis. Our approach answers research hypothesis and creates new ones – either way, a lab with expertise in advanced cell culture platforms is crucial.
These modelling platforms are also a tool to identify new interventions and drugs leading to innovative trial designs.
Under the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre respiratory theme, we have an “Advanced cell culture” programme. Our first action was to set up SoCRATES.