control versus allergic rhinitis basal cells in response to Der p1

Basal cells are the epithelial progenitor cells of the airways and play a critical role in tissue homeostasis and repair. In a healthy upper airway epithelium, the basal cells are usually shielded from environmental triggers as they are positioned in close contact with the basement membrane. In allergic rhinitis, it is known that the epithelial barrier is dysfunctional and it is believed that in this situation basal cells become more accessible to airborne particles, however, it is not known whether basal cells can sense these triggers directly. In addition, previous research has shown that control basal cells phenotypically and functionally differ from allergic rhinitis (AR) basal cells. In this study, we aimed to further compare phenotypical differences between sorted primary control and house dust mite (HDM)-allergic AR basal cells, before and after culture, using bulk RNA sequencing. Moreover, we wanted to evaluate the basal cell transcriptional response to HDM-derived Der p1 to study their potential as an environmental sensor.