{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T09:12:03Z","timestamp":1790673123321,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,4,30]],"date-time":"2020-04-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1588204800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters P-glycoprotein (MDR1\/ABCB1), multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1\/ABCC1), and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP\/ABCG2) play a crucial role in the translocation of a broad range of drugs; data about their expression and activity in lung tissue are controversial. Here, we address their expression, localization and function in EpiAirway\u2122, a three-dimensional (3D)-model of human airways; Calu-3 cells, a representative in vitro model of bronchial epithelium, are used for comparison. Transporter expression has been evaluated with RT-qPCR and Western blot, the localization with immunocytochemistry, and the activity by measuring the apical-to-basolateral and basolateral-to-apical fluxes of specific substrates in the presence of inhibitors. EpiAirway\u2122 and Calu-3 cells express high levels of MRP1 on the basolateral membrane, while they profoundly differ in terms of BCRP and MDR1: BCRP is detected in EpiAirway\u2122, but not in Calu-3 cells, while MDR1 is expressed and functional only in fully-differentiated Calu-3; in EpiAirway\u2122, MDR1 expression and activity are undetectable, consistently with the absence of the protein in specimens from human healthy bronchi. In summary, EpiAirway\u2122 appears to be a promising tool to study the mechanisms of drug delivery in the bronchial epithelium and to clarify the role of ABC transporters in the modulation of the bioavailability of administered drugs.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms21093190","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,5,4]],"date-time":"2020-05-04T14:00:43Z","timestamp":1588600843000},"page":"3190","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":29,"title":["Characterization of ABC Transporters in EpiAirway\u2122, a Cellular Model of Normal Human Bronchial Epithelium"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"21","author":[{"given":"Bianca","family":"Rotoli","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of General Pathology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno, 39, 43125 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2256-0530","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amelia","family":"Barilli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of General Pathology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno, 39, 43125 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rossana","family":"Visigalli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of General Pathology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno, 39, 43125 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Ferrari","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of General Pathology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno, 39, 43125 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Caterina","family":"Frati","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pathology Unit, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43126 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Costanza","family":"Lagrasta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pathology Unit, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Gramsci, 14, 43126 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maria","family":"Di Lascia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Preclinical Pharmacokinetics, Biochemistry &amp; Metabolism Dept., Chiesi Farmaceutici, Largo Francesco Belloli, 43122 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Benedetta","family":"Riccardi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Preclinical Pharmacokinetics, Biochemistry &amp; Metabolism Dept., Chiesi Farmaceutici, Largo Francesco Belloli, 43122 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paola","family":"Puccini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Preclinical Pharmacokinetics, Biochemistry &amp; Metabolism Dept., Chiesi Farmaceutici, Largo Francesco Belloli, 43122 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Valeria","family":"Dall\u2019Asta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of General Pathology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Volturno, 39, 43125 Parma, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,4,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1156","DOI":"10.1101\/gr.184901","article-title":"The human ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily","volume":"11","author":"Dean","year":"2001","journal-title":"Genome. 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