[Advances in culture techniques for airway epithelial cells]

Techniques for culturing the airway epithelium have been improved over the past 10 years. Cultured cells show multilayered structures, and the luminal surface contains cilia and secretory granules. The cells retain the ion transport properties of the original tissue, and secrete mucin-like glycoproteins indistinguishable from mucins produced in vivo. The culture conditions were improved in several ways. A serum-free hormone-supplemented culture medium, growth supports such as collagen or collagen gel, and filter membranes or culture dishes suitable for epithelial cell culture are now used, and air interface methods have been developed. Furthermore, protease can be used to harvest many cells from the airway epithelium. This paper introduces the history of the culture techniques for the airway epithelium over the past 10 years, and recent improvements in the culture conditions for human tracheal epithelium and submuiosal glands.