Eleftheria Letsiou, PhD

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening condition where the lungs fill with fluid and fail to provide enough oxygen to the body. One major cause is infection by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacterium. Our research focuses on how MRSA injures the lung’s protective blood vessel lining—the barrier that keeps fluid and inflammation out of the air spaces—and how this damage might be prevented. We are studying a key cellular “cleanup and recycling” system called the autophagy–lysosome pathway, which normally removes unwanted or harmful materials from cells. We believe that when this system malfunctions, it weakens the lung’s endothelial barrier and worsens injury. Our work has found that certain FDA-approved drugs, called phosphodiesterase inhibitors, may help restore this protective process and reduce lung barrier damage. By revealing how MRSA disrupts lung function and responds to these treatments, we hope to find new ways to effectively treat this devastating condition.