The Lung Project in the Predictive Toxicology Center focuses on a model system representing the airway epithelium. In this Project, we utilize a primary tracheal epithelial cell culture that has been differentiated at an air-liquid interface, representing a three-dimensional organotypic culture.
Murine tracheal epithelial cultures (mTEC) are being used initially as this culture system allows for the use of cell isolation from genetically modified animals both for pathway analysis and for development of medium throughput assays. Importantly, we use this system to assess the impact of nanomaterials on differentiation of the airway epithelium across a variety of endpoints, which will provide information on specific at risk populations.