Mechanisms of lung injury caused by Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and SARS-CoV and potential therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells

Dr Chan, Michael Chi Wai   (Principal Investigator (PI))

Professor Nicholls John Malcolm   (Co-Investigator)

Professor Peiris Joseph Sriyal Malik   (Co-Investigator)

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2017-01-01

1476689

Mechanisms of lung injury caused by Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and SARS-CoV and potential therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells

alveolar fluid clearance, lung injury, MERS-CoV, Mesenchymal stem cells, SARS-CoV

Infection/Parasitology

Biology and Medicine (M)

17121016

General Research Fund (GRF)

2016

Completed

1 To compare AFC and APP in human alveolar epithelial cells infected with highly pathogenic coronavirus (MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV) and low pathogenic coronavirus (HCoV-229E) with uninfected controls in human lung injury model 2 To study the regulation of sodium and chloride transporter proteins and cytokines following MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV infection and their contribution to altered AFC and APP 3 To determine the role of specific activators or inhibitors of major sodium and chloride transporters in resolving MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV impaired AFC and APP 4 To determine the therapeutic role and mechanistic effect of human MSC on AFC, APP and regulation of sodium/chloride transporter proteins expression on alveolar epithelial cells infected with MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV 5 To evaluate the beneficial effect of MSC treatment on the survival, immunopathology, severity of lung injury and resolution of lung edema in MERS-CoV infection mouse model