Pulmonary air–liquid interface (ALI)

The pulmonary air–liquid interface (ALI) is an in vitro cell culture methodology designed to mimic the physiological environment of the human respiratory tract, rather than a specific therapeutic target molecule or receptor (Upadhyay & Palmberg, 2018, PMID: 30039411). In this system, airway epithelial cells are grown on a permeable membrane where the basal surface is submerged in nutrient media while the apical surface is exposed to air. This configuration triggers the differentiation of the epithelium into a pseudostratified layer containing ciliated cells, goblet cells, and basal cells, closely resembling the in vivo lung architecture (Lacroix et al., 2018, PMID: 29654425). ALI models are critical tools for studying respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cystic fibrosis, as well as for evaluating the toxicity and efficacy of inhaled drug delivery (Hiemstra et al., 2018, PMID: 29439044). While it serves as a platform for drug testing and disease modeling, it does not possess a pharmacological mechanism of action or direct drug interactions in the manner of a protein or enzyme target.

Other names

Air-liquid interface cultureALI modelIn vitro respiratory modelBiphasic culture system

Not applicable as this is an experimental cell culture methodology, not a therapeutic target molecule.