Ex vivo human lung/immune system model using tissue engineering for studying microbial pathogens with lung tropism

摘要

A method for studying scaffold-based tissue engineering approaches in combination with the use of progenitor or stem cells to generate new lung tissue in an in vitro system. The engineered tissue system of this invention is used to monitor lung and immune system exposure of pathogen and/or toxins. The method involves growing engineered lung/immune tissue from progenitor cells in a bioreactor and then exposing the engineered lung/immune tissue to a pathogen and/or toxin. Once exposed, response of the engineered tissue is monitored to determine the effects of exposure to the immune component of the tissue and to lung component of the tissue. This invention also involves development of mixed engineered tissues including a first fully functional engineered tissue such as lung tissue and a second fully functional engineered tissued such as immune tissue from a single animal donor. The mixed systems can include more than two engineered tissues.