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Modelling Epithelial Barrier Function and Mucociliary Clearance Using Small Airway Epithelium Cells

The small airways form a first line defence mechanism against inhaled particles and facilitate gas exchange by distributing air to the alveoli. The small airways play a crucial role in disease and are often the initial site of inflammation and obstruction in conditions such as bronchiolitis obliterans, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Our ability to study small airway physiology in vivo is limited due to their small size and location deep within the lungs, making them difficult to visualize and access using non- invasive imaging techniques. At Newcells Biotech, we have developed a complex, multicellular system to enable the study of small airway physiology and disease in vitro.
Primary human basal cells are expanded in culture flasks prior to seeding onto semi-permeable inserts under submerged conditions. On reaching confluency, the cells are ‘air- lifted’, i.e. apical medium is removed, to allow air-liquid interface (ALI) culture conditions. Promoting epithelial polarisation and cell differentiation to form a heterogeneous population of epithelial cells representative of the small airways.