Evaluation of cryopreserved primary nasal and bronchial epithelial cells for rhinovirus infection in- vitro studies

There is increasing interest in using primary nasal epithelial cells (PNECs) instead of primary bronchial epithelial cells (PBECs) in order to study epithelial responses in rhinitis and asthma. This study aimed to establish a robust cell culture model appropriate for studying rhinovirus infection and the consequent epithelial responses in asthma and rhinitis. First, a comprehensive comparison of fresh and cryopreserved primary nasal epithelial cells from three donors before and after RV infection was conducted, using high throughput RNA sequencing and transcriptomics.