Wenjie Yu, PhD
The University of Iowa
Research Project:
Enlarged Airway Glands and Their Link to Mucus Abnormalities in Chronic Airway Disease
Grant Awarded:
- Catalyst Award
Research Topics:
- basic biologic mechanisms
- pathology
Research Diseases:
- asthma
- COPD
- cystic fibrosis
Airway glands constantly produce mucus to trap and remove pathogens and particles from the environment to keep our lungs healthy. In people with chronic airway disease, their airway glands are enlarged and produce thicker and stickier mucus, causing constant cough and difficulty breathing. This research aims to understand various features of enlarged airway glands and link them to mucus abnormalities in chronic airway disease. Researchers will use a pig chronic lung disease model to investigate the features of airway gland enlargement in chronic lung disease, and whether these changed features directly lead to abnormal thicker mucus. By answering these questions, we hope to better understand the disease-causing changes of airway glands in chronic airway disease. This knowledge will lead to better treatment strategies to treat chronic lung diseases.
Update: We are making strides in understanding how these essential airway glands grow abnormally and how their cellular makeup and local immune environment are altered during disease. Our findings also demonstrate that these changes in the glands significantly affect the properties of mucus, which can worsen airway obstruction. This research is uncovering new insights into the development of muco-obstructive lung diseases.
Page last updated: September 22, 2025
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