How mucus and cilia protect the small airways
Mucociliary innate defense mechanism in the human distal airway
This project looks at how mucus and tiny hair-like cilia clear the small airways in people with conditions like asthma or cystic fibrosis to explain why those airways get blocked more easily.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11260172 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be told that researchers will examine human airway tissue and samples to measure how mucus thickness and cilia length or density affect mucus movement in the smallest airways. They will compare distal (small) airways with more proximal airways and use imaging and laboratory measures to track mucociliary transport rates. The team will measure mucin secretion and CFTR-driven fluid secretion and focus on secretory club cells that shape mucus properties. The aim is to link these cell-level activities to slower mucus clearance in small airways and why that may promote muco-obstructive lung disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with muco-obstructive lung diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, or cystic fibrosis who can provide airway samples or take part in related clinic visits.
Not a fit: People without airway disease or those unable or unwilling to provide airway samples are unlikely to get direct benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to restore mucus clearance in small airways and reduce flare-ups and long-term damage in asthma, cystic fibrosis, and related lung diseases.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have shown regional differences in mucociliary clearance and CFTR-driven fluid secretion, but integrating these findings to explain slow transport in small airways is a newer, developing area.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Okuda, Kenichi — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Okuda, Kenichi
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.