Propagation of rhinovirus-C strains in human airway epithelial cells differentiated at air-liquid interface

Rhinovirus-C (RV-C) were discovered recently using molecular methods. Classical methods failed to detect them since they could not grow in standard cell culture. The complete genome sequences of several RV-C strains are now available but there is little information about their biological characteristics. HRV-C were first grown in organ culture, and more recently, we developed a system for culturing RV-C strains in differentiated epithelial cells of human airway at air-liquid interface (ALI). These cultures supported efficient replication of RV-C strains as determined by quantitative RT-PCR. This system has enabled study of the biological characteristics of RV-C strains, including quantitative research.