Development of a human lung macrophage model version 1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Characterization of mononuclear phagocyte responses stimulated by infectious and non-infectious pathogens and their ligands.
IRAS ID
261119
Contact name
Gyorgy Fejer
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Plymouth
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Macrophages are immune cells which play key pathogenic roles in infectious and non-infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, influenza, asthma, metabolic conditions and cancer. One type of tissue resident macrophages, lung-alveolar macrophages (AMs) are vital in the normal functions of the airways and have significance in the pathogenesis of most human lung disorders. AMs derive from foetal monocytes which develop and mature by granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating-factor (GM-CSF), a substance produced mainly in the lung. Since the availability of lung macrophages is limited, however, we established an in vitro model of non-transformed, GM-CSF-dependent mouse AM-like macrophages (MPI cells) to study lung diseases while reducing the need for living animals as well. The aim of the study here is to establish similar continuously growing human AM-like cell lines to better understand human lung diseases. For this purpose, we will culture leucocytes isolated from healthy human blood, cord blood or splenocytes obtained from healthy volunteers, pregnant females and tissue banks with GM-CSF to establish continuously growing cell lines in order to test them.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/EM/0047
Date of REC Opinion
25 Mar 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion