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Organotypic Tissue Model Systems for Investigating Host-Pathogen Interactions In Vitro
Published on: March 28, 2025
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An organotypic oral mucosal infection model to study host-pathogen interactions
Samantha J Gould1, Andrew D Foey2, Vehid M Salih3
1Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UK.
Journal of Tissue Engineering
|October 24, 2023
Summary
A new oral mucosal infection model (OMM) effectively simulates denture stomatitis (DS) by showing pathogen invasion and inflammatory responses. This advanced OMM is suitable for studying oral infections and host immune responses.
Area of Science:
- Oral microbiology
- Biomaterials science
- Immunology
Background:
- Early in vitro oral mucosal infection models (OMMs) lacked host immune response relevance.
- Denture stomatitis (DS) involves Candida albicans, with Staphylococcus aureus's role being unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize a collagen hydrogel-based OMM.
- To investigate tissue invasion and pro-inflammatory cytokine production in response to C. albicans and S. aureus.
Main Methods:
- A collagen hydrogel OMM was created using HaCaT and human gingival fibroblast (HGF) cells.
- The model was infected with C. albicans and/or S. aureus for 24 hours.
- Tissue invasion and IL-6/IL-8 production were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The developed OMM formed a robust epithelium and exhibited baseline inflammation.
- Infection with C. albicans and/or S. aureus led to significant tissue invasion.
- Both single and dual infections significantly upregulated IL-6 and IL-8 production compared to controls, with no significant difference between infection types.
Conclusions:
- The newly developed collagen hydrogel OMM accurately mimics oral mucosal infection, including DS.
- This model is suitable for studying oral infections and host immune responses, offering a valuable tool for research.
