Development of lung in vitro model to assess antimicrobial activity

When developing new inhaled antibiotics to treat lung infections, they will need to be tested before being given to humans. Current methods to test inhaled antibiotics are based on animals which are both inhumane and lack efficacy. The aim of the proposed project is to replace testing in animals with a lab model that resembles the human lungs. The proposed lab model is non-biological model yet can be very effective at predicting how the medicine will act when given to humans. The model is based on our previous research by which we simulate conditions in the lungs using synthetic materials that resemble the mucus inside the lungs. We incorporate the same type of bacteria that affect the lungs so the tested antibiotics will react with the bacteria in a similar way to human lungs. The benefit of the proposed model is that it eliminates the use of animals and facilitates testing of antimicrobials for delivery to the lungs.