Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the barrier function of the airway epithelium

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Frank Kirchhoff; Privatdozent Dr. Oliver Wittekindt
• Subject Area: Pneumology, Thoracic Surgery ; Anatomy and Physiology ; Virology
• Term: from 2021 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 458685876

• Final Report Year: 2022

Final Report Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 infects and replicates in the epithelium of the upper and lower human airways. Currently, no appropriate in-vivo model is available to study mechanisms of respiratory virus infection that specifically resembles the human lung. Our in-vitro model of conditionally reprogrammed nasal epithelial cells resembles the human airway epithelium better than any animal based in-vivo model. It enables to elaborate molecular mechanisms of host-virus interaction of SARS-CoV-2 as well as other respiratory viruses and since it avoids inter-species differences it facilitates drug development. Finally, it can be used instead of animal experiments to address aspects of safety pharmacology and lung toxicity.

Publications

• Serially passaged, conditionally reprogrammed nasal epithelial cells as a model to study epithelial functions and SARS-CoV-2 infection. American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology, 322(4), C591-C604.
  Schmidt, Hanna; Guthjahr, Lara; Sauter, Alexander; Zech, Fabian; Nchioua, Rayhane; Stenger, Steffen; Frick, Manfred; Kirchhoff, Frank; Dietl, Paul & Wittekindt, Oliver H.