Impact of Physiological Strain on Lung Epithelial Cells Exposed to Aerosolised Particles

Summary

To understand how inhaled particles harm the deep lung, an in vitro model has to reproduce not only the tissue but the mechanics of breathing. This study engineers a dynamic air-liquid interface bioreactor that combines three features usually found separately: cyclic strain that deforms an elastic membrane the way breathing does, basal perfusion, and aerosol delivered from above. Lung epithelial cells are therefore exposed to aerosolised particles while being physically stretched - conditions far closer to the alveolus than a static culture allows.

Authors & Affiliations

• Ludovica Cacopardo

  Department of Information Engineering and Research Centre "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Italy
• Nathalie Jung

  BioNanomaterials Group, Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
• Nicole Guazzelli

  Research Centre "E. Piaggio", University of Pisa, Italy
• Roberta Nossa

  Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy
• Sandeep Keshavan

  BioNanomaterials Group, Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
• Marc Witzig

  BioNanomaterials Group, Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
• Andrea Rohrbasser

  BioNanomaterials Group, Adolphe Merkle Institute, University of Fribourg, Switzerland

Linari Electrospinning Systems

Topics

Materials