Prolonged airway explant culture enables study of health, disease, and viral pathogenesis

In vitro models play a major role in studying airway physiology and disease. However, the native lung's complex tissue architecture and nonepithelial cell lineages are not preserved in these models. Ex vivo tissue models could overcome in vitro limitations, but methods for long-term maintenance of ex vivo tissue have not been established. Here, we describe methods to culture human large airway explants, small airway explants, and precision-cut lung slices for at least 14 days. Human airway explants recapitulate genotype-specific electrophysiology; characteristic epithelial, endothelial, stromal, and immune cell populations; and model viral infection after 14 days in culture. These methods also maintain mouse, rabbit, and pig tracheal explants. Notably, intact airway tissue can be cryopreserved, thawed, and used to generate viable explants with recovery of function 14 days postthaw. These studies highlight the broad applications of airway tissue explants and their use as translational intermediates between in vitro and in vivo studies.

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Publication Details

Journal
UNC Libraries
Published
2025-07-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.17615/nm4m-n644
Primary Topic
Tracheal and airway disorders
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Prolonged airway explant culture enables study of health, disease, and viral pathogenesis

Kenichi Okuda, Richard C. Boucher, Satoko Nakano, Raymond J. Pickles et al.
UNC Libraries
Tracheal and airway disorders
article

Prolonged airway explant culture enables study of health, disease, and viral pathogenesis

Kenichi Okuda, Richard C. Boucher, Satoko Nakano, Raymond J. Pickles, Stephen A. Schworer, Ralph Steven Baric, James S. Hagood, Gillian Crisp, Elisa Crisci, Anne M. Cawley, Barbara R. Grubb, Troy D. Rogers, Hong Dang, Rhianna E. Lee, Scott H. Randell, Wanda K. O’Neal, Rodney C. Gilmore, Caitlin E. Edwards, Lauraine Rivier, Samuel C. Gallant, Jacob R. Galiger
article en

Abstract

In vitro models play a major role in studying airway physiology and disease. However, the native lung's complex tissue architecture and nonepithelial cell lineages are not preserved in these models. Ex vivo tissue models could overcome in vitro limitations, but methods for long-term maintenance of ex vivo tissue have not been established. Here, we describe methods to culture human large airway explants, small airway explants, and precision-cut lung slices for at least 14 days. Human airway explants recapitulate genotype-specific electrophysiology; characteristic epithelial, endothelial, stromal, and immune cell populations; and model viral infection after 14 days in culture. These methods also maintain mouse, rabbit, and pig tracheal explants. Notably, intact airway tissue can be cryopreserved, thawed, and used to generate viable explants with recovery of function 14 days postthaw. These studies highlight the broad applications of airway tissue explants and their use as translational intermediates between in vitro and in vivo studies.

UNC Libraries
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 60%
Tracheal and airway disorders
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