Human tracheal gland cells in primary culture

For several years, tracheal gland cells have been cultured from different animal species, such as the cat (1), cow (2), and ferret (3). There are dlffer ences, however, in the structure and function of the various animal airways, rendering it difficult to extrapolate to humans. In this chapter, the author describes techniques that facilitate the isolation and culture of tracheal gland cells from humans. These techniques allow high reproducibility, optimal cell isolation, and high phenotypic expression, rendering them appropriate for physiological, pharmacological, and biomedical applications.