Role of Uniquely Human Genes in Mediating the SIRS Response to Injury
Our central goal is to identify the function of Uniquely Human Genes (UHGs) that are highly expressed in monocytes/macrophages and relevant in the inflammation response. We are systematically defining how UHGs distinguish the human immune response from other species to improve the development of effective therapeutics targeting human SIRS. These studies may provide important insights into why there is individual variability in human SIRS after injury (differences in UHG expression), why some therapeutics that work well in animal models fail in human clinical studies (UHGs interrupt canonical signaling pathways) and could lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets (UHGs or their molecular mediators).
Extracellular Vesicles as Mediators of Secondary Acute Lung Injury
Our interests are focused on the complex lung microenvironment that includes immune cells, the epithelial glycocalyx and extracellular vesicles (EVs). The cellular source and heterogeneity of lung EVs post-injury, and their ability to contribute to inflammation, has yet to be defined and represents a significant gap in our understanding of the pathogenesis of SIRS-induced ALI. Defining the lung immune cell and EV populations present during the development and resolution of ALI may allow for diagnostics and therapeutics to improve care and limit the pulmonary morbidity of post-injury ALI.
