Human Tissue-Like Cellular Assemblies Grown for Respiratory Studies

NASA researchers have developed a technology that yields three-dimensional (3D) tissue-like assemblies (TLAs) of human broncho-epithelial (HBE) cells for in vitro research on infection of humans by respiratory viruses. Compared to traditional two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cell culture, the 3D TLAs more accurately represent the active environment present in respiratory infections.