Fig. 6: Schematic summary of functional human alveolar model and potential applications. | Communications Biology

Fig. 6: Schematic summary of functional human alveolar model and potential applications.

From: Tissue-level alveolar epithelium model for recapitulating SARS-CoV-2 infection and cellular plasticity

Fig. 6

In this study, a customized SMC medium was developed to support long-term HPAEpiC expansion and culture while maintaining the AT1 and AT2 cell phenotypes. During ALI modeling, the human alveolar model reproduced the key structural and functional characteristics, which include (1) pulmonary surfactant production, (2) epithelium integrity, (3) surface microvilli, (4) tissue-specific protein expression (ACE2, TMPRSS2), and (5) cellular regeneration and disease development. Following SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, the pseudovirus enters both the AT1 and AT2 cells, destroys the pulmonary surfactant (SPA), and induces IL-8 secretion. In the process of repairing the damaged alveolar model, XAV939 greatly improved wound healing and reduced fibroblast activation; thus, the mediation of Wnt signaling is crucial for alveolar regeneration. These applications highlight the fact that a developed human alveolar model system can help researchers investigate additional physiological responses, which enhances human lung research that includes viral infection studies and drug testing.

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