Project

Role of airway mucus dysfunction in the pathogenesis and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Code
3G089712
Duration
01 January 2012 → 31 December 2017
Funding
Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO)
Research disciplines
  • Medical and health sciences
    • Laboratory medicine
    • Palliative care and end-of-life care
    • Regenerative medicine
    • Other basic sciences
    • Laboratory medicine
    • Palliative care and end-of-life care
    • Regenerative medicine
    • Other clinical sciences
    • Other health sciences
    • Nursing
    • Other paramedical sciences
    • Laboratory medicine
    • Palliative care and end-of-life care
    • Regenerative medicine
    • Other translational sciences
    • Other medical and health sciences
Keywords
COPD
 
Project description

Mucus hypersecretion is an important pathophysiological feature of COPD, resulting in chronic cough and shortness of breath due to obstruction of the airway lumen. The first aim of this translational research project – using both a murine cigarette smoke-driven model of COPD as well as a large human lung tissue bank of patients with and without COPD – is to elucidate how cigarette smoke alters the production, secretion, glycosylation and clearance of airway mucus. The second aim is to determine in vivo the effect of airway mucus dysfunction on the pathogenesis and progression of COPD, by exposing transgenic mice that hypersecrete mucus to cigarette smoke. Thirdly, we will investigate whether macrolides, effective in patients with cystic fibrosis, may have therapeutic value in COPD.