https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-23768-4
Joshua W. P. Bateman a, Kirsty Meldrum a, Sarah M. Mitchell a, Ulla Vogel b &Martin J. D. Clift a
a In Vitro Toxicology Group, Institute of Life Science 1, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
b The National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkalle 105, Copenhagen Ø, DK-2100, Denmark
This work focuses on air-liquid interface exposure to study the toxicological effects of inhaled particles, such as Carbon Black. It uses a triple cell co-culture of hAELVi and NCI-H441 cells (type 1 and type 2 pneumocytes) together with differentiated THP-1 macrophages, forming a physiologically relevant alveolar barrier. Cell ratios and densities were carefully optimized based on confocal microscopy and anatomical data, resulting in a tight, responsive barrier where macrophages react to pro-inflammatory stimuli, providing a valuable platform for hazard assessment of respirable xenobiotics.
