Posters

      Evaluation of the Stability of Reconstituted Human Bronchial Epithelium, MucilAir, During 4 Weeks in Culture

      Constant, S.; Frentzel, S.; Gaca, M.; Grandolfo, D.; Leroy, P.; Haswell, L. E.; Hoeng, J.; Huang, S.; Minet, E.; Luettich, K.; Monachino, M.; Trivedi, K.; Wiszniewski , L.
      Conference date
      Mar 17, 2016
      Conference name

      Society of Toxicology (SOT) 2016
      Link to more information
      Topic
      Summary

      MucilAir, a 3D cell model of the human airway epithelium, could be a valuable in vitro tool for studying respiratory diseases and assessing inhaled toxicants in long-term or repeated dose toxicity testing. Therefore it is important to assess the stability of tissue morphology and function over time. This study assessed the stability of bronchial MucilAir tissues in three independent laboratories over 38 days of culture post-differentiation. The endpoints tested were transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), cilia beat frequency (CBF) and mucin secretion, conducted simultaneously at all three test sites. TEER values were comparable and proved to be relatively stable over the culture period, despite one site having a slight increase in TEER after 14 days in culture. Similarly, CBF did not change markedly over time. However, the average CBF varied across the three sites, ranging from 9.73±0.16 to 12.26±0.15 Hz. Cilia active area measures were somewhat variable within day, but similar between two of the three test sites, with the third reporting generally lower percentages. A similar observation was made for mucin production with comparable values in two of the three test sites. However, the results obtained at the third test site were generally higher although reporting stable mucin production over the 38 days. Despite some minor differences between the test sites, the overall results demonstrated that the fully differentiated bronchial MucilAir tissue was stable over a 38 day culture at three independent laboratories. To support these initial findings, immunohistological analysis for specific cellular markers (p63, MUC5AC, FoxJ1, Ki67) is being employed to evaluate the frequency and distribution of cell types within the cultures before embarking on future studies using various test materials. 

      PMIScience.com is operated by Philip Morris International for the purpose of publishing and disseminating scientific information about Philip Morris International’s efforts in support of its smoke-free product portfolio. This site is a global site for use by scientists, the public health and regulatory communities, and other stakeholders with an interest in tobacco policy. The purpose of this site is not advertising or marketing, nor is it directed at any specific market. It is not intended for use by consumers. New tobacco products sold in the United States are subject to FDA regulation; therefore the content of this site is not intended to make, and nor should it be construed as making, any product related claims in the United States without proper FDA authorization. ​
      ​
      Reduced Risk Products ("RRPs”) is the term we use to refer to products that present, are likely to present, or have the potential to present less risk of harm to smokers who switch to these products versus continuing smoking. PMI has a range of RRPs in various stages of development, scientific assessment and commercialization. All of our RRPs are smoke-free products that deliver nicotine with far lower quantities of harmful and potentially harmful constituents than found in cigarette smoke.