Method to isolate type II alveolar (AT II) epithelial cells from differentiated lung and airway tissue

The use of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells has allowed for the in vitro production of many specialized cell types, including the cells that make up the lung and airways. However, certain cells remain difficult to isolate. Type II alveolar (AT II) cells, a cell type that is required for the normal function of the lung, have proven especially difficult to isolate using current laboratory methods. This technology provides a detailed method for flow cytometric purification of AT II cells from iPS cells that have been induced to form lung tissue. Isolation and purification of these cells will provide researchers with new tools to study lung development and disease in vitro, as well as providing new systems for drug discovery.

Isolation and purification of type II alveolar cells from differentiated lung and airway tissue provides a new tool for studying respiratory infection, drug action and dysfunction

By playing a key role in alveolar generation, AT II cells are crucial to lung development and function. This technology provides the first method capable of isolating and purifying AT II cells at high yield from differentiated lung tissue. Combining this technology with iPS methods has a variety of possible applications, including patient-specific replacement of AT II cells in cases of developmental defects and lung damage, modeling human lung cancers and viral respiratory infection, and drug screening for compounds that can increase AT II cell surfactant production in premature infants.

The specificity of this isolation method has been validated using flow cytometry and studies of function.

Lead Inventor:

Hans-Willem Snoeck, MD Ph.D.

Applications:

• Provides a method for isolating type II alveolar cells from differentiated lung tissue
• Purified AT II cells can be used for the following applications:
• Modeling lung cancers
• Modeling viral respiratory infection
• Modeling idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
• Drug screening
• Patient-specific replacement of damaged or defective AT II cells

Advantages:

• Only available method for isolating AT II cells from differentiated lung tissue
• Patient-specific AT II cell grafts will allow for cell replacement without rejection or immunosuppression
• Purified AT II cells will provide a fast and easy screening platform for drugs that affect AT II cell function

Patent information:

Tech Ventures Reference: IR CU13336

Related Publications:

• Huang SX, Islam MN, O'Neill J3, Hu Z, Yang YG, Chen YW, Mumau M, Green MD, Vunjak-Novakovic G, Bhattacharya J, Snoeck HW. Efficient generation of lung and airway epithelial cells from human pluripotent stem cells. Nat Biotechnol. 2014 Jan;32(1):84-91. doi: 10.1038/nbt.2754.