An organoid-derived bronchioalveolar model for SARS-CoV-2 infection of human alveolar type II-like cells.

ABSTRACT: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which may result in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multiorgan failure, and death. The alveolar epithelium is a major target of the virus, but representative models to study virus host interactions in more detail are currently lacking. Here, we describe a human 2D air-liquid interface culture system which was characterized by confocal and electron microscopy and single-cell mRNA expression analysis. In this model, alveolar cells, but also basal cells and rare neuroendocrine cells, are grown from 3D self-renewing fetal lung bud tip organoids. These cultures were readily infected by SARS-CoV-2 with mainly surfactant protein C-positive alveolar type II-like cells being targeted

SUBMITTER: Lamers MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7883112 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature