Research shows that it takes less than 6 hours for the Corona 19 virus to infect human lung tissue, the alveoli (lungs).



The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced today (26th) that the research team of Prof. Young-Seok Joo of the Graduate School of Medical Sciences developed a 3D lung anatomy model that can implement human lung cells in a laboratory and confirmed this for the first time.



This research was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Joo-Hyeon Lee of the University of Cambridge, UK, Byeong-seon Choi, Director of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Health, Kyu-Young Ko, Head of the Institute of Basic Science (IBS), Professor Young-Tae Kim of Seoul National University Hospital, and Genome Insight, a KAIST faculty startup company.



Corona 19 virus is a virus that does not infect a mouse model.



There were no three-dimensional models of lung tissue available in the laboratory, limiting infection studies.



The research team developed the first three-dimensional human lung culture model by culturing human lung stem cells in a laboratory for a long time (more than 6 months).



After exposure to the Corona 19 virus, functional changes in lung cells were confirmed through immunofluorescence staining and transcriptome analysis.



Experimental results showed that the 3D lung cells were infected within 6 hours due to rapid corona 19 virus growth.



However, it took about three days for the lung cells to activate the innate immune response in response to the virus.



In addition, viral mutation tracking confirmed that only one viral particle is sufficient to infect a single lung cell.



This is the first time that the mechanism of COVID-19 infection has been revealed through a three-dimensional human lung culture model.



Prof. Young-Seok Joo said, "We will contribute to the development of therapeutic agents by directly applying human lung cells, not cells derived from animals or other organs, to Corona 19 research."



The results of this study were published in the online edition of the international journal'Cell Stem Cell' on the 22nd.



(Photo = Courtesy of KAIST, Yonhap News)