A Novel Airway-Organoid Model Based on a Nano-Self-Assembling Peptide: Construction and Application in Adenovirus Infection Studies

PURPOSE: Hydrogels containing the nano-self-assembling peptide RADA16-I (Nanogels) were utilized as scaffolds to establish airway organoids and an adenovirus-infected model. The results support in vitro adenovirus studies, including isolation and culture, pathogenesis research, and antiviral drug screening. METHODS: HSAEC1-KT, HuLEC-5a and HELF cells were cocultured in RADA16-I hydrogel scaffolds to construct an airway organoid model. Adenovirus was used to infect this model for adenovirus-related studies. The morphological characteristics and the proliferation and activity of airway organoids before and after adenovirus infection were evaluated. The expression of the airway organoid marker proteins CC10, KRT8, AQP5, SPC, VIM and CD31 was detected. TEM and qPCR were used to detect adenovirus proliferation in airway organoids. RESULTS: HSAEC1-KT, HuLEC-5a and HELF cells cocultured at 10:7:2 self-assembled into airway organoids and maintained long-term proliferation in a RADA16-I hydrogel 3D culture system. The organoids stably expressed the lumen-forming protein KRT8 and the terminal airway markers AQP5 and SPC. Adenoviruses maintained long-term proliferation in this model. CONCLUSION: An airway-organoid model of adenovirus infection was constructed in vitro from three human lung-derived cell lines on RADA16-I hydrogels. The model has potential as a novel research tool for adenovirus isolation and culture, pathogenesis research, and antiviral drug screening.