Take my breath away: studying pathogen invasion of the human lung using primary tissue models

• Published in: Pathogens and disease Vol. 79; no. 4
• Main Authors: Dragan, Amanda L, Voth, Daniel E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Oxford University Press 01-06-2021
• Subjects: Alveoli; Animal models; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial Infections - immunology; Bacterial Infections - microbiology; Bacterial Infections - pathology; Cell culture; Cell lines; Coxiella burnetii - growth & development; Coxiella burnetii - immunology; Coxiella burnetii - pathogenicity; Environment models; Epithelial cells; Epithelium; Fibroblasts; Host-pathogen interactions; Host-Pathogen Interactions - immunology; Humans; Legionella pneumophila - growth & development; Legionella pneumophila - immunology; Legionella pneumophila - pathogenicity; Legionnaires' disease bacterium; Leukocytes (neutrophilic); Lung - immunology; Lung - microbiology; Lung - pathology; Lung Diseases - immunology; Lung Diseases - microbiology; Lung Diseases - pathology; Lungs; Macrophages; Macrophages, Alveolar - immunology; Macrophages, Alveolar - microbiology; Macrophages, Alveolar - pathology; Microtomy; Minireview; Models, Biological; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - growth & development; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - immunology; Mycobacterium tuberculosis - pathogenicity; Pathogens; Primary Cell Culture; Staphylococcus aureus - growth & development; Staphylococcus aureus - immunology; Staphylococcus aureus - pathogenicity; Tissue Banks; Tissue Culture Techniques; Tuberculosis; Yersinia pestis - growth & development; Yersinia pestis - immunology; Yersinia pestis - pathogenicity; lung; intracellular bacteria; pulmonary; hPCLS; lung infection; hAMs
• ISSN: 2049-632X; 2049-632X
• DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftab016

ABSTRACT
The human pulmonary environment is complex, containing a matrix of cells, including fibroblasts, epithelial cells, interstitial macrophages, alveolar macrophages and neutrophils. When confronted with foreign material or invading pathogens, these cells mount a robust response. Nevertheless, many bacterial pathogens with an intracellular lifecycle stage exploit this environment for replication and survival. These include, but are not limited to, Coxiella burnetii, Legionella pneumophila, Yersinia pestis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Staphylococcus aureus. Currently, few human disease-relevant model systems exist for studying host–pathogen interactions during these bacterial infections in the lung. Here, we present two novel infection platforms, human alveolar macrophages (hAMs) and human precision-cut lung slices (hPCLS), along with an up-to-date synopsis of research using said models. Additionally, alternative uses for these systems in the absence of pathogen involvement are presented, such as tissue banking and further characterization of the human lung environment. Overall, hAMs and hPCLS allow novel human disease-relevant investigations that other models, such as cell lines and animal models, cannot completely provide.
Utility of two human lung infection platforms, human alveolar macrophages and human precision-cut lung slices, to study multiple bacterial pathogens.