LPS-induced respiratory inflammation

Inflammation is an essential component of many respiratory diseases, including pneumonia, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Main features of respiratory inflammation can be displayed in animal models, including non-human primates. Marmosets in particular are new world monkeys with a very high level of homology and physiological similarity to humans.

In our model, acute inflammation is induced by single or repeated exposure to endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS). This exposure treatment has been shown to reproduce hallmarks of human inflammation, with high neutrophil counts and sensitivity to glucocorticoid treatment. It is a robust, easy, and cost-efficient model that can be used especially for efficacy testing of anti-inflammatory drugs. We have excellent expertise in inhalation of substances and lung function measurements.

• In-life assessment of lung function: airway response to methacholine exposure
  
• Bronchoalveolar lavage: total and differential cell counts, cytokine levels by ELISA or MSD
  
• Histology imaging: conventional stainings, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and pathology scoring