Comparative characterization of in vitro infection of adult and pediatric nasal epithelium by influenza A H1N1 virus: an application of the air-liquid interface epithelial culture model.

• Grant number: 25/09826-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Eurico de Arruda Neto
• Grantee: Rafael Alves Lopes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Influenza A H1N1 virus is responsible for respiratory infections with high morbidity and mortality, particularly in children under the age of 4. The biological basis for the increased disease severity in this age group is not yet fully understood, but it may be related to differences in the outcome of infection in the epithelial cells of the upper respiratory tract, which serves as the viral entry point. This project aims to standardize a primary culture model of human nasal epithelial cells obtained via cytobrush. These cells will be expanded and differentiated in an air-liquid interface (ALI) system, forming a polarized and pseudostratified epithelium. Using this model, experimental infection with Influenza A H1N1 will be performed to compare parameters such as viral receptor expression, intracellular viral load, replication and progeny production, as well as cell damage and death, between cultures derived from pediatric and adult samples. The goal is to identify relevant differences between the two groups, contributing to the elucidation of mechanisms underlying susceptibility and disease severity in pediatric populations.