3D Reconstruction of the Human Airway Mucosa In Vitro as an Experimental Model to Study NTHi Infections.
We have established an in vitro 3D system which recapitulates the human tracheo-bronchial mucosa comprehensive of the pseudostratified epithelium and the underlying stromal tissue. In particular, we reported that the mature model, entirely constituted of primary cells of human origin, develops key markers proper of the native tissue such as the mucociliary differentiation of the epithelial sheet and the formation of the basement membrane. The infection of the pseudo-tissue with a strain of NonTypeable Haemophilus influenzae results in bacteria association and crossing of the mucus layer leading to an apparent targeting of the stromal space where they release large amounts of vesicles and form macro-structures. In summary, we propose our in vitro model as a reliable and potentially customizable system to study mid/long term host-pathogen processes.
GSK Vaccines S.r.l., via Fiorentina 1, 53100, Siena, Italy.
Pasquale
P
Marrazzo
GSK Vaccines S.r.l., via Fiorentina 1, 53100, Siena, Italy.
Silvia
S
Maccari
Interdepartmental Centre for Electron Microscopy, Tuscia University, Viterbo, Italy.
Annarita
A
Taddei
Respiratory Disease Area, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Horsham, RH12 5AB, United Kingdom.
Luke
L
Bevan
GSK Vaccines S.r.l., via Fiorentina 1, 53100, Siena, Italy.
John
J
Telford
GSK Vaccines S.r.l., via Fiorentina 1, 53100, Siena, Italy.
Marco
M
Soriani
GSK Vaccines S.r.l., via Fiorentina 1, 53100, Siena, Italy.
Alfredo
A
Pezzicoli
D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000821:virology