The TPC serves as a central source of normal, CF and disease control cells, tissues and fluids for a wide array of uses. The TPC has prepared cells from approximately 6,900 human tissue specimens over the past 26 years, providing an average of 13 x 109 viable primary human airway epithelial cells per year over the past five years
Director: Scott H. Randell, PhD, Associate Professor of Cell and Molecular Physiology and Medicine
Services Available
1) Tissue Procurement
Obtain nasal tissues and tracheo-bronchiolar segments from normal, CF and disease control humans as sources of airway epithelial cells for culture, for ex vivo experiments, for RNA and proteins representative of in vivo conditions, and for in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry
2) Airway Epithelial Cell Isolation and Culture
a) Isolate epithelial cells from excised human nasal tissues, including endosinus mucosa, and cartilaginous bronchi of human lungs for distribution to investigators.
b) Prepare and maintain primary epithelial cell cultures from the tissues noted above and provide support for preparation of well-differentiated airway epithelial cultures from passaged, or cryopreserved and thawed human cells, on permeable substrates.
c) Optimize and standardize epithelial culture conditions to replicate the gene expression, morphological differentiation, and physiologic functions of airways.
3) Collect Airway Surface Liquid (ASL) from in vivo and in vitro Samples
Critical testing of current advances in CF pathogenesis requires direct measurement of the chemical composition of humanASL. Furthermore, ASL from well-differentiated cultures serves as the basis for key experiments related to novel concepts in CF research. The TPC provides luminal contents of CF lungs explanted during transplant or removed at autopsy and harvests ASL from in vitro sources.
4) Genetic Manipulation of Cell Cultures
Use adenovirus, adeno-associated virus, lentivirus and retrovirus vectors in combination with chemical treatment as necessary, to assist in the production of genetically manipulated, well-differentiated primary airway epithelial cell cultures.
5) Create and Characterize Novel Cell Lines
Use recent advances in cell immortalization technology to create new cell lines and characterize their biochemical properties, morphology and electrophysiologic function.
6) New Initiatives Based on Investigator Needs