Role of tuft cells in the airway: Tuft cells are rare, specialized chemosensory epithelial cells that reside in most hollow organs in mice, and have been increasingly described in diverse epithelial tissues in humans. While their role in orchestrating Type 2 immune responses in the mouse intestine is now accepted, their roles in other tissues such as the airway remain incompletely characterized. We are studying how tuft cells differentiate, expand in number, and become activated during immune responses, and how this activation impacts other nearby immune, stromal and epithelial cells.
Airway epithelial behavior and remodeling in response to eicosanoids: In collaboration with the Gordon lab, we recently found that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) induces EP4- and CFTR-dependent fluid shifts in airway epithelial cells, which in turn accelerates mucociliary movement. We also found that given acutely, PGE2 can activate a transcriptional program in airway epithelial cells. We are exploring the effects of this function and transcriptional activation, as well as the effects of chronic PGE2 or other eicosanoid stimulation on airway epithelial behavior. These studies will help us understand how these short-lived but potent soluble mediators of inflammation modulate epithelial behavior during allergic or other inflammatory responses.
Function and behavior of type 2 innate lymphocytes (ILC2s): In collaboration with the Ricardo-Gonzalez and Locksley labs, we are examining how ILC2 niches are defined, how ILC2s interact with parenchymal cells, what factors contribute to innate memory in ILC2s, and how such memory impacts later immune challenges.