An engineered 3D human airway mucosa model based on an SIS scaffold

• Published in: Biomaterials Vol. 35; no. 26; pp. 7355 - 7362
• Main Authors: Steinke, Maria, Gross, Roy, Walles, Heike, Gangnus, Rainer, Schütze, Karin, Walles, Thorsten
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01-08-2014
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma - chemistry; Advanced Basic Science; Airway epithelium; Airways; Animals; Biocompatibility; Biomedical materials; Bordetella pertussis; Bordetella pertussis - physiology; Cell Line, Tumor; Cells, Cultured; Dentistry; Epithelial Cells - chemistry; Epithelial Cells - cytology; Epithelial Cells - microbiology; Epithelial Cells - pathology; Fibroblasts - chemistry; Fibroblasts - cytology; Fibroblasts - microbiology; Fibroblasts - pathology; Human; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; In vivo testing; In vivo tests; Raman micro spectroscopy; Respiratory Mucosa - chemistry; Respiratory Mucosa - cytology; Respiratory Mucosa - microbiology; Respiratory Mucosa - pathology; Scaffolds; SIS; Spectrum Analysis, Raman; Surgical implants; Swine; TEM; Tissue Engineering; Tissue Scaffolds - chemistry; Whooping Cough - pathology; Immunohistochemistry; Raman micro spectroscopy; Airway epithelium; SIS; TEM
• ISSN: 0142-9612; 1878-5905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2014.05.031

Abstract To investigate interrelations of human obligate airway pathogens, such as Bordetella pertussis , and their hosts test systems with high in vitro/in vivo correlation are of urgent need. Using a tissue engineering approach, we generated a 3D test system of the airway mucosa with human tracheobronchial epithelial cells (hTEC) and fibroblasts seeded on a clinically implemented biological scaffold. To investigate if hTEC display tumour-specific characteristics we analysed Raman spectra of hTEC and the adenocarcinoma cell line Calu-3. To establish optimal conditions for infection studies, we treated human native airway mucosa segments with B. pertussis. Samples were processed for morphologic analysis. Whereas our test system consisting of differentiated epithelial cells and migrating fibroblasts shows high in vitro/in vivo correlation, hTEC seeded on the scaffold as monocultures did not resemble the in vivo situation. Differences in Raman spectra of hTEC and Calu-3 were identified in distinct wave number ranges between 720 and 1662 cm−1 indicating that hTEC do not display tumour-specific characteristics. Infection of native tissue with B. pertussis led to cytoplasmic vacuoles, damaged mitochondria and destroyed epithelial cells. Our test system is suitable for infection studies with human obligate airway pathogens by mimicking the physiological microenvironment of the human airway mucosa.