Single cell RNA-sequencing of human precision-cut lung slices: A novel approach to study the effect of vaping and viral infection on lung health

Vaping is an increasing health threat in the US and worldwide. The damaging impact of vaping on the human distal lung has been highlighted by the recent epidemic of electronic cigarette or vaping use-associated lung injury (EVALI). The pathogenesis of EVALI remains incompletely understood, due to a paucity of models that recapitulate the structural and functional complexity of the human distal lung and the still poorly defined culprit exposures to vaping products and respiratory viral infections. Our aim was to establish the feasibility of using single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology in human precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) as a more physiologically relevant model to better understand how vaping regulates the antiviral and pro-inflammatory response to influenza A virus infection. Normal healthy donor PCLS were treated with vaping extract and influenza A viruses for scRNA-seq analysis. Vaping extract augmented host antiviral and pro-inflammatory responses in structural cells such as lung epithelial cells and fibroblasts, as well as in immune cells such as macrophages and monocytes. Our findings suggest that human distal lung slice model is useful to study the heterogeneous responses of immune and structural cells under EVALI conditions, such as vaping and respiratory viral infection.