Search
Cystic fibrosis (CF), due to pathogenic variants in CFTR gene, is associated with chronic infection/inflammation responsible for airway epithelium alteration and lung function decline. Modifier genes induce phenotype variability between people with CF (pwCF) carrying the same CFTR variants. Among these, the gene encoding for the amino acid transporter SLC6A14 has been associated with lung disease severity and age of primary airway infection by the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Severity and disease progression in people with Cystic Fibrosis is typically dependent on their genotype. One potential therapeutic strategy for people with specific mutations is exon skipping with antisense oligonucleotides. CFTR exon 9 is an in-frame exon and hence the exclusion of this exon would excise only 31 amino acids but not alter the reading frame of the remaining mRNA.
The airway epithelium of children with asthma is characterized by aberrant repair that may be therapeutically modifiable. The development of epithelial-targeting therapeutics that enhance airway repair could provide a novel treatment avenue for childhood asthma.
Anthony Belinda Ingrid Kicic Hales Laing BSc (Hons) PhD BSc (Hons) PhD BSc PhD Rothwell Family Fellow; Head, Airway Epithelial Research Senior
Strep A causes over 775 million infections each year world-wide, including over 615 million cases of tonsil infection (Strep throat).
We have been studying the importance of the epithelial cells lining the airways in the nose and lungs.
Hallmarks of cystic fibrosis (CF) airway disease include bronchiectasis, airway inflammation by infiltrating polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) and recurring infection.
Deep inspiration and airway physiology: human, canine, porcine, or bovine?
The Airway Epithelial Research Team is investigating the role of the epithelium in the development of airway diseases including asthma, cystic fibrosis and lung transplant rejection.
Amniotic epithelial cells are fetal-derived stem cells, capable of differentiating into all three germ layers, including mature epithelial cell populations. Here, we hypothesised that the amniotic epithelium might serve as a surrogate tissue source for investigating transcriptional profiles in the respiratory epithelium of newborns.