Patent ID: 7312047

Claim:
A method of screening a test agent for ability to improve barrier function of epithelium formed from cultured asthmatic bronchial epithelial cells, which comprises: (i) providing cultured asthmatic bronchial epithelial cells; (ii) further culturing said cells on a porous support at an air-liquid interface whereby they differentiate in culture and will form an in vitro epithelium, said culturing being in the absence of any added Th2 or proinflammatory cytokine and for a period such that an epithelial barrier is detectable; (iii) adding to the culture, either at the start of culturing or during culturing said test agent whereby the test agent is contacted with the epithelial cells; (iv) and determining at one or more time points after formation of an epithelial barrier is detectable whether said test agent improves epithelial barrier function compared with epithelial barrier function detectable in an identical culture without the test agent.