3D tissue models for Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection research

Neisseria gonorrhoeae is an obligate human pathogen and a causative agent of a sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea. Apart from the infections of the urogenital tract, gonococci cause eye infection in newborns, who get infected during delivery. Newborn conjunctivitis or ophthalmia neonatorum was one of the most common causes of blindness until the introduction of routine prophylaxis. Urogenital infections are treatable with antibiotics but are becoming a growing health concern due to the increase in the antimicrobial resistance among N. gonorrhoeae strains.

Our work focuses on development and testing of 3D tissue models that can be applied in the research of N. gonorrhoeae infections. In one approach, we developed tissue models using cell lines that were based on a small intestinal submucosa (SIS) scaffold derived from pigs. These models initially contained fibroblast and epithelial cells and were later refined by the addition of an endothelial cell layer, as well as neutrophils. Further on, we established a procedure to retrieve primary endometrial cells and are currently testing them for the 3D model generation. In a second approach, we used already established cornea models (collaboration with the group of Christian Lotz, Fraunhofer TLC-RT) to study the role of pilus in the eye infection with N. gonorrhoeae. Both approaches demonstrate the advantages of 3D-tissue models over 2D culture and open new possibilities for the application of such models in infection research.