Research Projects

Mucus production is a prominent feature of the airway's response to injury. Thus, increased mucus production can 'be interpreted as an indicator of injury and subsequent decreased production as an indicator of return to normal function. The goal of this work was to develop and validate methods for evaluating airway injury through monitoring mucus production. The first method measures mucin in lung fluids and the second measures mucin mRNA, the mucin precursor, in lung cells. Both the fluids and cells are obtained during bronchoscopy. In addition to providing detailed protocols for performing these assays, the report also snows that the first method, as predicted, detected significantly more mucin in the lung fluid of smokers than non-smokers. With respect to mucin mRNA, the assay detected a trend in the same direction.