Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42039749›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology2026

Host-pathogen-immune interactions in an air-liquid interface airway model.

Alexander F Melanson, Annika Hettich, Claudia Antonella Colque, Jenny J Persson, Pablo Laborda, Signe Lolle, Søren Molin, Helle Krogh Johansen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Alexander F MelansonDepartment of Clinical Microbiology 9301, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Annika HettichDepartment of Clinical Microbiology 9301, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Claudia Antonella ColqueDepartment of Clinical Microbiology 9301, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Jenny J PerssonDepartment of Experimental Medical Science, Section for Immunology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Pablo LabordaDepartment of Clinical Microbiology 9301, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Signe LolleDepartment of Clinical Microbiology 9301, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Søren MolinThe Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
Helle Krogh JohansenDepartment of Clinical Microbiology 9301, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Air-liquid interface (ALI) cell culture systems have improved the study of host-pathogen interactions in respiratory infections. However, most ALI models lack immune components, limiting their ability to capture epithelial-immune crosstalk. To address this, we developed a dual-cell ALI model incorporating human peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages beneath differentiated airway epithelial cells. Methodology: Macrophages were seeded on the basolateral side of transwell inserts using fibronectin coating. Model characterization included transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) to assess epithelial barrier integrity, IL-8 secretion as a marker of epithelial inflammatory signaling, and confocal microscopy to evaluate cellular architecture before and after infection. Mono- and dual-cell cultures were infected with the laboratory strain Results: Macrophages adhered stably to the basolateral surface without compromising epithelial barrier integrity. Following infection, IL-8 secretion was elevated in epithelial monocultures compared to dual-cell cultures, suggesting early immune modulation in the presence of macrophages. While overall bacterial burden was comparable, confocal imaging revealed clustered bacterial growth in monocultures and a more dispersed spatial distribution in dual-cell cultures. Conclusions: This dual-cell ALI model enables investigation of early epithelial-immune interactions, inflammatory modulation, and bacterial colonization dynamics during airway infection. The system provides a versatile and human-relevant platform for studying respiratory host-pathogen interactions.

Indexed as

Epithelial CellsHost-Pathogen InteractionsMacrophagesPseudomonas aeruginosaCell Culture TechniquesCells, CulturedHumansInterleukin-8Microscopy, ConfocalModels, BiologicalInterleukin-8air-liquid interface (ALI)airway infection modelhost-pathogen interactioninfection modelmacrophagesPseudomonas aeruginosa

Identifiers

PMID42039749
PMCPMC13106080

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.