Issue 17, 2014

A biomimetic multicellular model of the airways using primary human cells

Abstract

Microfluidic cell cultures enable investigation of complex physiological tissue properties and functionalities. For convenience, they are often implemented with immortalized cell lines, but primary cells more closely approximate the in vivo biology. Our aim was to develop a biomimetic microfluidic model of the human airway using all primary cells. The model is comprised of airway epithelial cells cultured at an air–liquid interface, lung fibroblasts and polarized microvascular endothelial cells, respectively positioned in three vertically stacked, individually accessible compartments separated by nanoporous membranes. We report device fabrication, a gravity fed microfluidic system, and culture medium able to support functional co-cultures of all three primary human cell types. As characterized by imaging and permeability measurements, airway epithelial cells in microfluidic devices displayed mucociliary differentiation and barrier function. Subjacent fibroblasts and microvascular endothelial cells were added under conditions enabling co-culture for at least 5 days. Microfluidic airway models based on primary human cells in a relevant biomimetic configuration will improve physiological relevance and will enable novel disease modeling and drug development studies.

Graphical abstract: A biomimetic multicellular model of the airways using primary human cells

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
10 May 2014
Accepted
24 Jun 2014
First published
24 Jun 2014

Lab Chip, 2014,14, 3349-3358

Author version available

A biomimetic multicellular model of the airways using primary human cells

K. L. Sellgren, E. J. Butala, B. P. Gilmour, S. H. Randell and S. Grego, Lab Chip, 2014, 14, 3349 DOI: 10.1039/C4LC00552J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements