Nasal Epithelial Cell-Based Models for Individualized Study in Cystic Fibrosis

Abstract

The emergence of highly effective CFTR modulator therapy has led to significant improvements in health care for most patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). For some, however, these therapies remain inaccessible due to the rarity of their individual CFTR variants, or due to a lack of biologic activity of the available therapies for certain variants. One proposed method of addressing this gap is the use of primary human cell-based models, which allow preclinical therapeutic testing and physiologic assessment of relevant tissue at the individual level. Nasal cells represent one such tissue source and have emerged as a powerful model for individual disease study. The ex vivo culture of nasal cells has evolved over time, and modern nasal cell models are beginning to be utilized to predict patient outcomes. This review will discuss both historical and current state-of-the art use of nasal cells for study in CF, with a particular focus on the use of such models to inform personalized patient care.

Keywords: CFTR; cystic fibrosis; nasal cell; personalized medicine; theratyping.

Figure 1

Respiratory epithelial characteristics of HNE models. Immunofluorescence demonstrates the presence of adherens junctions (e-cadherin, green), cilia (acetylated alpha-tubulin, purple), and mucus production (muc5ac, red) in air–liquid interface (Panel (A)) and spheroid cultures (Panel (B)). Nuclei are highlighted in blue by DAPI. Scale bar = 20 µm. Image courtesy of Brewington laboratory.