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.