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Development of a polidocanol-based human in vitro model to explore airway epithelial repair.

Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2024-0117OC (2025)
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The human airway epithelium is a primary site of toxicant exposure and crucial in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic lung disease (CLD). In CLD, the airway epithelium is frequently altered and distorted, and its restoration is desirable. The mechanisms underlying human aberrant epithelial regeneration, however, are poorly understood. Importantly, our knowledge about airway epithelial injury and regeneration largely stems from mouse models, yet airways differ considerably between mice and humans. We hypothesized that treatment of differentiated primary human bronchial epithelial cells (phBECs, or HBEC) with polidocanol or naphthalene would allow for studying mechanisms of human airway epithelial injury and regeneration. Injury of differentiated phBECs with 0.04%, but not 0.1% PDOC, resulted in full restoration of a functional epithelium and epithelial barrier integrity as monitored by qRT-PCR analysis, immunofluorescence stainings, and transepithelial electrical resistance measurements. Regeneration was associated with a transient but not parallel increase of p21+ and KRT17+ cells. Providing proof-of-concept, DAPT, an inhibitor of Notch signaling, blunted the restoration of secretory cell types post 0.04% PDOC injury. Differentiation of phBECs in presence of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) or ethanol as first hit significantly impaired the regeneration capacity of phBECs. While naphthalene is known to specifically induce club cell depletion in mouse airways, it failed to do so in phBECs. In conclusion, using fully differentiated phBECs treated with PDOC, we successfully established and thoroughly characterized a human in vitro system that will facilitate studies of mechanisms involved in susceptibility to injury as well as human airway repair and regeneration.
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Publication type Article: Journal article
Document type Scientific Article
Keywords Airway Injury ; Airway Regeneration ; Bronchial Epithelium ; Hbec ; Polidocanol
Language english
Publication Year 2025
HGF-reported in Year 2025
ISSN (print) / ISBN 1044-1549
e-ISSN 1535-4989
Publisher American Thoracic Society
Reviewing status Peer reviewed
Institute(s) Institute of Lung Health and Immunity (LHI)
Institute of Regenerative Biology and Medicine (IRBM)
CF Statistical Consulting (CF-STATCON)
POF-Topic(s) 30202 - Environmental Health
30505 - New Technologies for Biomedical Discoveries
Research field(s) Lung Research
Enabling and Novel Technologies
PSP Element(s) G-501600-001
G-509400-001
A-632200-001
G-552100-001
PubMed ID 40239015
Erfassungsdatum 2025-05-10