Cystic Fibrosis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Cystic Fibrosis, including details on symptoms, genetics, treatment, information.

Functional properties of mixed cystic fibrosis and normal bronchial epithelial cell cultures.

Dannhoffer L, Blouquit-Laye S, Regnier A, Chinet T

Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines, UPRES EA 220, Laboratoire de Biologie et Pharmacologie des Epithéliums Respiratoires, UFR Paris Ile de France Ouest, Boulogne, France.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) airway epithelia exhibit altered Cl(-) and Na(+) transport properties and increased IL-8 secretion. In the present study, we examined whether a small proportion of cells with a normal phenotype could normalize the ion transport and IL-8 secretion properties of a CF airway epithelial cell layer. We obtained three types of primary cultures of human bronchial epithelial cells: one composed of 100% non-CF cells, one of 100% CF cells, and one of 10% non-CF and 90% CF cells ("cocultures"). Measurement of the bioelectric properties in Ussing chambers revealed that the cocultures displayed Cl(-) and Na(+) transports similar to those observed in the 100% non-CF cultures and significantly different from CF cultures. IL-8 concentration in the coculture supernatant was not different from non-CF cultures, but was significantly lower than in CF cultures. This study provides evidence that 10% bronchial epithelial cells expressing a normal phenotype are sufficient to functionally correct a primary culture of CF bronchial epithelial cells in vitro. We postulate that 10% cells with a non-CF phenotype can be used as a goal for the design of gene therapy and cell therapy trials for CF lung disease.

Published 13 May 2009 in Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol, 40(6): 717-23.
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