Human airway epithelial cell lines for in vitro drug transport and metabolism studies

The pharmaceutical industry relies on appropriate in vitro models for the evaluation of drug absorption and metabolism. Despite increasing interest in drug delivery via the lung, there is currently no widely accepted cell culture model of the airway epithelium. This review considers the airway epithelium, the culture of airway epithelial cells and the need for cell lines which can model the airway epithelium. Three of the most promising human bronchial cell lines, 16HBE14o–, Calu-3 and BEAS-2B, are reviewed, with emphasis on their recent application for the study of drug transport, drug metabolism and gene delivery. Current limitations and future directions for the development of these cell lines as models of the airway epithelium are discussed.