Contribution of in vitro culture methods for respiratory epithelial cells to the study of the physiology of the respiratory tract

Different techniques for culturing respiratory epithelial cells have been developed to overcome the limitations of studies on in vivo and on bioptic material. However, each culture technique has its limitations, specifically concerning the expression of differentiated properties. These methods and limitations are described and discussed. Special attention is given to recent developments, which may resolve some of the current problems.