The lung faces a monumental challenge; each day we inhale about 11,000 liters of air in order to maintain life. This inhaled gas is laden with infectious bacteria, viruses, as well as allergens, environmental pollutants, and irritants. In spite of this overwhelming burden, most of us don't get lung disease and our lungs almost always effectively carry out gas exchange.

Our lab studies the functions at the cellular and molecular levels of pulmonary epithelial and immune cells that contribute to the ability of the lung to carry out functions that are important for normal breathing and for preventing infection and inflammation. The lung produces a unique substance, known as surfactant, which protects the lung by regulating immune cell function and by reducing the tendency of the lung to collapse. Two of the surfactant proteins, surfactant proteins A and D (SP-A and SP-D) are homologous to serum proteins that bind carbohydrates and are involved in non-antibody mediated host defense against infection. This finding has generated a new area of research on the immunomodulatory functions of surfactant proteins. Our laboratory is currently investigating the surfactant mediated regulation of innate immune cells, such as macrophages and neutrophils, adaptive immune cells, such as dendritic cells and T-lymphocytes, as well as cells involved in pulmonary diseases such as asthma. In addition, we study pathways involved in surfactant metabolism that help regulate the pool of functional surfactant. These studies employ an array of techniques including immunological, cell biological, molecular biology, physiology, and microscopy.

E-mail
j.wright@cellbio.duke.edu

438 Nanaline Duke Bldg., Box 3709
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC 27710

Telephone
919-684-8040
Fax
919-684-8106

SCCOR test

Selected Publications
Kunzmann, S. J.R. Wright, W. Steinhilber, B. W. Kramer, K. Blaser, C.P. Speer, C. Schmidt-Weber.   TGF-{beta}1 in SP-A preparations influences immune suppressive properties of SP-A on human CD4+ T lymphocytes. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, In Press, 2006.

Williams, K.L. , J.D. Lich, J.A. Duncan, W. Reed, P. Rallabhandi, C. Moore, S. Kurtz, V.M. Coffield, M.A. Accavitti-Loper, L. Su, , S.N. Vogel, M. Braunstein and J.P.-Y. Ting . The CATERPILLER protein monarch-1 is an antagonist of toll-like receptor-, tumor necrosis factor alpha-, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis-induced pro-inflammatory signals. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2005 280(48): 39914-24.

Wright, JR. Immunoregulatory Functions of Surfactant Proteins. Nature Reviews Immunology: 2005; 5:58-68. -PDF-

Kannan, T.R., D. Provenzano, J.R. Wright, and J.B. Baseman, Identification and characterization of human surfactant protein-A binding protein of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Infection & Immunity 2005 73:2828-2834.

Zaas D, Duncan M, Li G, Wright JR, Abraham SN. Pseudomonas invasion of type I pneumocytes is dependent on the expression and phosphorylation of caveolin-2. J Biol Chem. 2005: 280:4864-4872. -PDF-

Alcorn JF, Wright JR. Degradation of pulmonary surfactant protein D by Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase abrogates innate immune function. J Biol Chem. 2004 Jul 16;279(29):30871-9. -PDF-

Current Projects
Bethany Brown (Graduate Student): Investigating role of caveolin and surfactant in infectivity of respiratory syncytial virus.

Jen Coneski (Graduate Student): Investigating regulation of T-cell function by surfactant.

Kathy Evans (Research Analyst): Determining cell specific responses of immune cells to SP-A and SP-D.

Steven Giles, Ph.D.. (Post-doctoral Fellow): Studying the role of surfactant in regulating dendritic cell responses to Cryptococcus neoformans.

Scarlett Guenes-Boyer (Graduate Student): Studying interactions of surfactant with Cryptococcus neoformans.

Rachel Lovingood (Graduate Student): Investigating surfactant and viral immunity.

Bernice Lo (Graduate Student): Studying role of lung cells in antigen presentation.

Amy Pastva, Ph.D. (Post-doctoral Fellow): Studying role of regulation of dendritic cells and eosinophils by surfactant proteins.

Mike Reidy, M.D. (Asst. Professor): Evaluating regulation of lung inflammation by SP-A.

DeAndre Ross (PREP Student): Investigating complement regulation in the lung.

Molly Smithers (Graduate Student): Investigating the role of SP-A in regulating complement mediated phagocytosis.

Kristi Williams (Assistant Research Professor): Investigating the role of the CATERPILLER protein Monarch-1 in regulating lung inflammation.

David Zaas M.D. (Fellow): Investigating mechanisms of virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.