Macrophages in the lung consist of alveolar macrophages and interstitial macrophages. These cells have been implicated in driving pathologic lung inflammation, participating in repair and contributing to fibrosis.
We are studying macrophage heterogeneity through single cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics and high dimensional cytometry. Our research focuses on both acute disease, like hypoxemic respiratory failure in the intensive care unit, as well as chronic lung diseases like fibrosis associated with autoimmune disease, hypersensitivity pneumonitis or other interstitial lung diseases.
These studies will identify how macrophage subsets contribute to acute and chronic inflammatory lung diseases.
Additional Research Projects
Discover more research projects from the
Mikacenic Lab.
Immune Checkpoints in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
We are investigating the role of the PD-L1/PD-2 pathway in ARDS pathophysiology and identifying an immune signature of patients at higher risk for poor outcomes.
Systems Immunology Profiling of Respiratory Viral Infections in Rheumatoid Arthritis
The lab's study in the Human Immunology Project Consortium (HIPC) is focused on understanding mucosal immune responses in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and how it differs from healthy adults.
