HUMAN BRONCHIAL CELL CULTURE SYSTEM

THIS WORK WILL INVESTIGATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CELL CULTURESYSTEM CONTAINING NORMAL HUMAN BRONCHIAL EPITHELIAL (NHBE) CELLS AND A SERUM-FREE OPTIMIZED MEDIUM FOR THEIR GROWTH. SERUM-FREE CULTURE OF NORMAL HUMAN CELLS IS A MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCE THAT FACILITATES RESEARCH INTO HUMAN DISEASES. NHBE CELLS HAVE BEEN GROWN SUCCESSFULLY IN SERUM-FREE MEDIUM AND ARE A VALUABLE TOOL IN THE STUDY OF DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY TRACT SUCH AS LUNG CANCER, CYSTIC FIBROSIS, AND ASTHMA. IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS SYSTEM COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE TO THE INDUSTRIAL, ACADEMIC, AND MEDICAL COMMUNITY, RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO OPTIMIZE AND DEVELOP THIS CELL SYSTEM INTO A REPRODUCIBLE, QUALITY-ASSURED PRODUCT. CULTURE PARAMETERS MUST BE INVESTIGATED TO DETERMINE PLATING DENSITY, GROWTH RATES AND CELLULAR SENESCENCE, CRYOPRESERVATION PROCEDURES, MORPHOLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS (TO ASSURE A NONDIFFERENTIATED CELL POPULATION), AND ANTIGENIC DETERMINANTS. THE KNOWLEDGE FROM THIS RESEARCH WILL BE USED TO OPTIMIZE A CULTURE MEDIUM FOR THE PROLIFERATION OF NHBE CELLS. THIS CULTURE SYSTEM WILL FACILITATE RESEARCH BY ELIMINATING THE RESEARCHER'S NEED TO SUPPORT A COMPREHENSIVE TISSUE CULTURE LABORATORY.