Triple co-culture and perfusion bioreactor for studying the interaction between and neutrophils: A novel 3D tissue model for bacterial infection and immunity.

Gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacteria , is characterized by a large number of neutrophils recruited to the site of infection. Therefore, proper modeling of the interaction with neutrophils is very important for investigating and understanding the mechanisms that gonococci use to evade the immune response. We have used a combination of a unique human 3D tissue model together with a dynamic culture system to study neutrophil transmigration to the site of infection. The triple co-culture model consisted of epithelial cells (T84 human colorectal carcinoma cells), human primary dermal fibroblasts, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells on a biological scaffold (SIS). After the infection of the tissue model with , we introduced primary human neutrophils to the endothelial side of the model using a perfusion-based bioreactor system. By this approach, we were able to demonstrate the activation and transmigration of neutrophils across the 3D tissue model and their recruitment to the site of infection. In summary, the triple co-culture model supplemented by neutrophils represents a promising tool for investigating and other bacterial infections and interactions with the innate immunity cells under conditions closely resembling the native tissue environment.