title: In vitro-generated respiratory mucosa: a new tool to study inhalational anthrax.
abstract: We generated a three-dimensional (3-D) model of human airway tissues in order to study initiation of inhalational form of anthrax infection. The system was designed to model the air-blood barrier of the respiratory tract represented by epithelial cells and macrophages. When grown on collagen/fibronectin gel support at an air-liquid interface, airway epithelial cells formed cell layers morphologically resembling those in vivo. These preformed epithelial cell cultures were further supplemented with monocytes/macrophages isolated from human blood. After 2-5 days of co-culture, monocytes differentiated into a phenotype of resident macrophages, which was evaluated by the expression of specific cell surface markers. This model allowed sorting out the role of each type of cell found at the air surface of the lung. The interdependence of macrophages and epithelial cells in the clearance of anthrax spores from airways and the capacity of the airway epithelial cells to protect from anthrax infection was demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Biosystems, Inc., Analex, Inc., 10900 University Blvd, MSN 1A8, Manassas, VA 20110, USA. Svetlana.Radyuk@analex.com
authors.forename: Svetlana N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Radyuk
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Mericko
authors.forename: Taissia G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Popova
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grene
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alibek
mesh_terms: D000881:Anthrax / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology*; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000166:cytology; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines