Several research programs thematically linked to general epithelial cell biology and mucosal immunology comprise the Epithelial Pathobiology Unit
within the Department of Pathology at Emory. Projects have direct relevance to a broad array of human diseases of the gastrointestinal, respiratory and urinary tract such as ulcerative
colitis, Crohn's disease, bacterial enterocolitis, bronchitis, pyelonephritis, and cystitis. This is a collaborative environment with group seminars and lab meetings. Members include
several NIH funded investigators with a variety of emory graduate program appointments that occupy 10,000 square feet of inter-connected, new laboratory space on the first floor of the Whitehead
Biomedical Research Building. There is direct on-site access to state of the art facilities including microarray, confocal microscopy, flow cytometry,
epithelial cell culture and monoclonal antibody cores. Ample research opportunities exist in established programs involving:
1.Regulation of epithelial barrier:
Structure and function of the tight junction and mechanisms of epithelial cell migration / wound recovery.
2. Epithelial cell physiology: regulation of chloride
secretion in intestinal epithelia and adenosine mediated regulation of epithelial cell function
3. Molecular basis and physiology of epithelial inflammation:
Regulation of neutrophil chemotaxis and transepithelial migration, function of chemokines in controlling leukocyte migration in the intestine using inducible
transgenic mouse models, characterization of mucosal immune defects in mice deficient in the chemokine receptors, signaling events between leukocytes
and epithelial cells and effects on barrier function, and the role of membrane transporters in regulating intestinal inflammation.
4. Epithelial-pathogen
interactions: bacterial-epithelial interactions that regulate mucosal inflammation including pathogenesis of enteric infections such as Salmonella and
enteropathogenic E. coli, epithelial interactions with normal flora, mechanisms of bacterial activation and/or repression of epithelial cell signaling pathways,
bacterial translocation of pro-inflammatory factors across epithelia and mechanisms of bacterial activation of epithelial cells via toll receptors.
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| Extensive lab facilities are physically interconnected to maximize collaboration |
Advanced technologies such as gene microarrays are available for experimentation |
A morphology core including confocal microscopy produces state of the art cellular images. |
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