Nordic Life Science 1
88 “By performing a simple nasal wash with saline
and using a nasal swab, we can collect enough stem cells to grow them in culture and expand them as organoids. These nasal organoids can be expanded, frozen, or differentiated into 3D nasal tissue. They can also be dissociated and plated in Transwells, where they form a 2D layer of nasal epithelium.” MARIE HAGBOM types found in the nose, they are non-transformed and closely reflect human biology. “Research data obtained can be more accurately translated to humans,” she explains. “In contrast, transformed cell lines and animal models often poorly represent human biology. Nasal organoids, along with other human organoid models, can therefore serve as powerful preclinical systems to improve the relevance and reliability of research findings.” Applications include toxicology studies, drug screening, disease mechanisms, and infection research. For example, scientists can investigate how viruses attach to and replicate in human cells, as well as how the host responds to infection. They can also be used to develop and test new treatment or prevention strategies, Hagbom explains. “Another key advantage is the ability to study individual responses, for example, how different people respond to infections or diseases,” she adds. “The epithelial response can be studied in isolation, without interference from immune cells or nerves, but these components can also be incorporated into the system when needed, depending on the research question.” Preventive treatments Using this nasal model, Hagbom and colleagues at Linköping University have investigated, for example, the ability of avian influenza viruses to infect the human nasal epithelium. The model serves as a valuable tool for assessing the risk of zoonotic spillover to humans and for studying individual host–pathogen interactions. Hagbom is currently also part of Professor Charlotte Thålin’s research group at Karolinska Institutet-Danderyd’s Hospital, where she has established both nasal and lung organoid models to support ongoing research. Human nose organoids (HNOs) (A, B) grown in 3D culture and with media to keep stem cell state to be able to passage with continuously culture. Differentiated 2D human nasal epithelium (C) generated from single cell dissociated HNOs, grow on trans-well filters with media for differentiation into the different nasal cell types (ciliated cells, mucus producing goblet cells, secretory Club cells and basal cells). The apical side are air-exposed, air-liquid interface (ALI) culture. THE NOSE // NASAL ORGANOIDS PHOTO MARIE HAGBOM