High Priority Alert

Masking and Visitation Changes: Due to high rates of respiratory illnesses in our community, we’ve made changes to our masking and visitation guidelines. Learn more.

Search Search

Airway Epithelial Cell Differentiation and Injury in Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia

Images of cellsBronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a chronic lung disease of extremely premature infants. Airway injury, remodeling and obstruction contribute to BPD pathogenesis. Modeling airway epithelial differentiation is important as samples from critically ill infants are difficult to obtain, and airway disease remains an understudied yet physiologically relevant element therein. 

In this project we are using a combination of in vivo and ex vivo approaches:

  1. Investigating molecular pathways differentially expressed by tracheal epithelial cells from infants with evolving BPD
  2. Characterizing the ex vivo growth and differentiation properties of BPD airway epithelia using an organotypic AEC culture model
  3. Studying the impact of hyperoxia-induced airway epithelial injury ex vivo
  4. Describing airway epithelial structure in pathologic specimens from patients who died with evolving severe BPD (collaboration with Deutsch Lab)

Seattle Children’s complies with applicable federal and other civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude people or treat them differently based on race, color, religion (creed), sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin (ancestry), age, disability, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law. Financial assistance for medically necessary services is based on family income and hospital resources and is provided to children under age 21 whose primary residence is in Washington, Alaska, Montana or Idaho.