Protocol to develop human Alveolar Macrophage-Like (AML) cells from mononuclear cells or purified monocytes for use in respiratory biology research

Human alveolar macrophages are a unique myeloid subset critical for understanding pulmonary diseases and are difficult to access. Here, we present a protocol to generate human Alveolar Macrophage-Like (AML) cells from fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells or purified monocytes. We describe steps for cell isolation, incubation in a defined cocktail of pulmonary surfactant and lung-associated cytokines, phenotype analysis, and validation with human alveolar macrophages. We then detail procedures for quality control and technical readouts for monitoring microbial response. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Pahari et al. (2023)1and Neehus et al. (2024)2.