title: Isolation, cultivation, and application of human alveolar epithelial cells.
abstract: The blood-air barrier formed by the alveolar epithelium of the peripheral lung is crucial for the pulmonary delivery of drugs. Most existing in vitro models mimicking the blood-air barrier are represented by tumor cells or immortalized cells and lack biological relevance due to their genetic alterations and underexpressed essential physiological functions. However, the increasing interest of aerosol administration of medicines to the respiratory system requires the development and use of representative in vitro models. Thereby, human alveolar epithelial cells (hAEpC) are a suitable test system allowing standardized toxicity and transport studies for newly developed compounds and delivery systems. The isolation, purification, and cultivation of hAEpC are described as well as their possible application in the so-called Pharmaceutical Aerosol Deposition Device On Cell Cultures (PADDOCC) mimicking the complete inhalation process of a powder aerosol in vitro.
authors: Drug Delivery, Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, Saarbruecken, Germany. nicole.daum@helmholtz-hzi.de
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Daum
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Kuehn
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Hein
authors: Ulrich F
authors: UF
authors: Schaefer
authors: Hanno
authors: H
authors: Huwer
authors: Claus-Michael
authors: CM
authors: Lehr
mesh_terms: D056809:Alveolar Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D061251:Primary Cell Culture / Q000379:methods*