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The epithelial and endothelial barriers of the airway mucosa are critical for regulation of tissue homeostasis and protection against pathogens or other tissue damaging agents. In response to a viral infection, epithelial cells must signal to the endothelium to initiate immune cell recruitment. This is a highly temporal regulated process; however, the mechanisms of this cross‐talk are not fully understood.

In a close‐contact co‐culture model of human airway epithelial and endothelial cells, cellular crosstalk was analyzed using transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) measurements, immunofluorescence, electron microscopy, and ELISA. Viral infections were simulated by exposing airway epithelial cells apically to double‐stranded RNA (Poly(I:C)). Using a microfluidic culture system, the temporal release of mediators was analyzed in the co‐culture model.

Within 4 h of challenge, double …