InVitro Models of Intestine Innate Immunity.

Animal models have delivered critical insights into mechanisms underlying the intestinal innate immune system; however, inherent differences exist between human and animal systems. To further understand the intestine innate immune system, there is a growing need for in vitro tissue model systems using human cells. A critical feature of in vitro cell and tissue models is the subepithelial environment, which contains additional cell types and includes 2D, microfluidic, organoid, and 3D tissue models. Where mouse models for the study of intestinal innate immune systems fall short, developments from in vitro models continue to grow in importance to aid efforts to understand this system in the context of disease and potential treatments.