A 3D Epithelial-Mesenchymal Co-Culture Model of the Airway Wall Using Native Lung Extracellular Matrix.

ABSTRACT: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease characterized by ongoing inflammation, impaired tissue repair, and aberrant interplay between airway epithelium and fibroblasts, resulting in an altered extracellular matrix (ECM) composition. The ECM is the three-dimensional (3D) scaffold that provides mechanical support and biochemical signals to cells, now recognized not only as a consequence but as a potential driver of disease progression. To elucidate how the ECM influences pathophysiological changes occurring in COPD, in vitro models are needed that incorporate the ECM. ECM hydrogels are a novel experimental tool for incorporating the ECM in experimental setups. We developed an airway wall model by combining lung-derived ECM hydrogels with a co-culture of primary

SUBMITTER: de Hilster RHJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11428669 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature