Characterization and optimization of variability in a human colonic epithelium culture model

Animal models have historically been poor preclinical predictors of gastrointestinal (GI) directed therapeutic efficacy and drug-induced GI toxicity. Human stem and primary cell-derived culture systems are a major focus of efforts to create biologically relevant models that enhance preclinical predictive value of intestinal efficacy and toxicity. The inherent variability in stem cell-based cultures makes development of useful models a challenge; the stochastic nature of stem cell differentiation interferes with the ability to build and validate reproducible assays that query drug responses and pharmacokinetics. In this study, we aimed to characterize and reduce sources of variability in a complex stem cell-derived intestinal epithelium model, termed RepliGut® Planar, across cells from multiple human donors, cell lots, and passage numbers. Assessment criteria included barrier for­mation and integrity, gene expression, and cytokine responses. Gene expression and culture metric analyses revealed that controlling cell passage number reduces variability and maximizes physi­ological relevance of the model. In a case study where passage number was optimized, distinct cytokine responses were observed among four human donors, indicating that biological variability can be detected in cell cultures originating from diverse human sources. These findings highlight key considerations for designing assays that can be applied to additional primary cell-derived systems, as well as establish utility of the RepliGut® Planar platform for robust development of human-pre­dictive drug-response assays.