| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/N510105/1 |
| Title: |
Development of a novel 3D microfluidic assay platform for the assessment of human stem-cell derived epithelial function. |
| Principal Investigator: |
Morgan, Professor H |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Electronics and Computer Science |
| Organisation: |
University of Southampton |
| Scheme: |
Technology Programme |
| Starts: |
29 March 2016 |
Ends: |
28 March 2018 |
Value (£): |
149,894
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Med.Instrument.Device& Equip. |
Tissue engineering |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| Healthcare |
Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology |
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| Related Grants: |
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| Panel History: |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
Every day we inhale more than 10,000 litres of air into our lungs, so it is not surprising that we have developed effective
defence mechanisms against many of the invisible components (bacteria, viruses, dust, pollutants etc) contained in the air
we breathe. In particular, so-called 'epithelial' cells that line the surface of our airways are very important as they form a
barrier that protects us against these agents and help keep our lungs healthy. However in people who have chronic lung
diseases such as asthma or bronchitis these cells do not function properly and as a result the protective barrier is
compromised and the lungs become more sensitive to environmental triggers such as allergens or viruses. If we could
understand more about what goes wrong with the epithelial barrier, it would be possible to develop new and more effective
drugs for respiratory diseases. For many years, human diseases have been studied using 'animal models' that demonstrate
features of the disease. While these models have given valuable information about mechanisms of cell regulation, direct
transfer of the results into therapies for human disease has been problematic. Therefore, there has been a move towards
studying cells derived from human volunteers using models that are grown in the laboratory under conditions that aim to
mimic aspects of their function in the lung. These models have been widely used but they are relatively simple and do not
have all the components present in the human body such as blood flow. They also require an endless source of human
cells which are difficult to obtain and can show considerable donor variability.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.soton.ac.uk |