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The study included 71 cases of primary atrophic rhinitis. Punch biopsies were obtained from the soft tissue of the inferior turbinate, approximately 1 cm posterior to the anterior end, in all cases. The specimens were examined under light microscopy for histological changes in the epithelium and submucosa.

Squamous metaplasia was observed in 70.4% of cases, accompanied by a marked absence of goblet cells and frequent epithelial denudation. Basement membrane thickening was common (50.7%), while reduced vascularity was seen in 59.1% of cases. Additionally, mucosal glands were significantly affected, being reduced in 42.2% and completely absent in 28.1% of cases.

The authors concluded that the most important pathological changes are squamous metaplasia, chronic inflammatory cellular infiltrates, granulation tissue formation, reduced vascularity, and a decreased number of mucosal glands’

Animal models, particularly mice and rats, are widely used in biomedical research, but differ from humans and require substantial space and resources. Organoids, three-dimensional stem cell–derived models that mimic the structure and function of original tissue, provide a practical and valuable in vitro system for studying disease pathogenesis.

Establishing nasal epithelium in vitro is challenging due to complex experimental conditions and long culturing periods. Organoids offer a practical solution to these challenges. They provide a powerful tool to study epithelial barrier function, tissue repair, and the mechanisms underlying nasal mucosal diseases.

Despite major advances, organoids do not fully replicate the native tissue microenvironment, limiting their use in nasal disease modeling and preclinical research. Incorporating vascularization and chip technologies represents a promising strategy to improve how well nasal organoids mimic their microenvironment.