Contribution of in vitro culture methods for respiratory epithelial cells to the study of the physiology of the respiratory tract

Abstract

Different techniques for culturing respiratory epithelial cells have been developed to overcome the limitations of studies on in vivo and on bioptic material. However, each culture technique has its limitations, specifically concerning the expression of differentiated properties. These methods and limitations are described and discussed. Special attention is given to recent developments, which may resolve some of the current problems.

Rhinosinusitis: evidence and experience

“…Mucociliary function can be evaluated by mucociliary clearance (saccharin test or radioisotope particles), study of ciliary beat frequency, electron microscopy, and nitric oxide measurement. 352 , 353 , 354 The saccharin test can give false-positive results. Scanning transmission electron microscopy is important for the diagnosis of primary ciliary dyskinesia.…”

A novel in vitro tubular model to recapitulate features of distal airways: The bronchioid

“…Various strategies have been proposed to model in vitro the conducting bronchi [1]. 2D culture of bronchial epithelial cells at the air-liquid interface (ALI) allows the reconstitution of a fully differentiated epithelium with a functional ciliated function, with an easy access to apical and basal sides [2, 3], but it does not reproduce the three-dimensional architecture essential to model properly the airways. 3D bioprinting is a promising method to build tissue with a relevant geometry [4, 5], especially with the recent development of suitable bioinks, such as those composed of alginate and decellularized tissue, enabling the printing of a tubular structure [6].…”