Data from: Recapitulating apicobasal tissue polarity in extracellular matrix-incorporated airway organoids

The airway epithelium is a dynamic barrier that interfaces with the
external environment and internal matrix niche along its apicobasal axis.
To recapitulate this tissue arrangement in an organoid format, we present
the decellularized ExtraCellular Matrix-incorporated Apical-out Airway
Organoid (dECM-AoAO) that integrates native matrix cues, through
incorporation of human lung-derived dECM microparticles, without
compromising the apical-out polarity. Incorporation of dECM effectively
diversifies lineage distribution that better recapitulates native
epithelial composition compared to ECM-free AoAO. Harnessing the dECM-AoAO
locomotion powered by outward-facing ciliary beating, we developed an
experimental and computational pipeline for swarm analysis of organoid
group motility as a functional readout of ciliary function. Lastly,
dECM-AoAO withstood cryopreservation and reviving with sustained
viability, lineage distribution, and ciliary function, enabling future
scalability and broad distribution. Together, this work establishes
dECM-AoAO as a physiologically relevant and versatile model system for
investigating epithelial-ECM interaction during airway homeostasis,
disease pathogenesis, and injury responses.