COVID-19: 3D Bioprinted Tissue Models for Respiratory Viruses

National Center For Advancing Translational Sciences

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

We have established protocols for culturing primary human small airway epithelial cells and alveolar cells in a transwell air-liquid-interface (ALI) model. Tissue biofabrication has been optimized in a 96-well plate format, including the formation of a microvessel network. We are positioning these lung tissue models platforms for testing infectivity of viral variants and anti-viral therapeutics for programs at NCATS, NIH and the broader research and drug development community. We have also developed a vascularized perfused lung epithelial tissue model in a high throughput microfluidics platform to assess of viral infection vasculature leakiness and permeability and thrombotic events seen in COVID-19 patients. We are assessing infectivity of intestine tissues (Mattek) with SARS-CoV2, including studies on long term persistence. We have demonstrated that neural spheroids are infected by brain tropic viruses and shown that infection modulates the neuronal activity of these brain models. We have demonstrated that hepatic cell spheroids are infected by viruses and shown that infection modulates the activity of these liver models.