ABSTRACT
The respiratory tract is the primary site of exposure to airborne
substances, with the bronchial epithelium providing the initial line
of defense. In addition, the disruption and/or remodeling of the
bronchial epithelium occurs as a result of numerous airway diseases
such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD).
With the burden of lung disease ever increasing, the principle
focus in respiratory medicine is to gain a better understanding of
the mechanisms of lung injury/repair as well as the development
of more effective therapeutics. Traditionally animal models have
been the primary focus in respiratory research; however, they are
deficient in many key areas in their ability to mimic the human
response to inhaled compounds. A growing need therefore exists
for an accurate, in vitro model of the bronchial epithelium, which
accurately reflects the human in vivo situation. We have created a
normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) model of the bronchial
epithelium cultured at the air-liquid interface (ALI) in Millipore R©
cell culture inserts. This NHBE model is fully differentiated,
pseudostratified, mucociliary epithelium containing basal, serous,
Clara, goblet, and ciliated cells. The NHBE model is stable and fully
developed from days 24-33 in an ALI culture.