In the current era, there are no effective therapies for the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) despite numerous clinical trials. Current strategies are aimed at improving pulmonary perfusion, recruitment of atelectatic alveoli and reducing iatrogenic injuries to the lung. The human models of ARDS give important information when testing potential drug therapies and serve as a bridge between experimental studies and phase 11/111 clinical trials. I was able to establish the ex vivo lung perfusion model and studied the effects of aspirin in reducing pulmonary inflammation produced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). To translate the beneficial effect of aspirin on pulmonary inflammation seen in experimental models of ARDS into a phase I clinical trial, the healthy volunteer model of LPS inhalation was used. Aspirin in these human models of ARDS was shown to reduce the pulmonary makers of inflammation due to its anti-inflammatory properties, however further clinical studies will be required to establish its role as a potential drug therapy for ARDS.