A serum-free method for culturing normal human bronchial epithelial cells at clonal density

A technique for the isolation and culture of normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells is described. This procedure involves first explanting fragments of large airway tissue to initiate fibroblastic-cell-free outgrowths of epithelial cells and subsequently using a serum-free medium (LHC-9) to propagate the NHBE cells at clonal density.