Established in 1988, the mission of the Carl and Hazel Felt Laboratory for Pulmonary Research is to advance the understanding of asthma pathogenesis, including the study of new and current therapies. We hope to accomplish these goals by studying people with asthma to learn how airway inflammation begins, continues and responds to therapy. We are endeavoring to apply the concepts learned at the bench to patient care, in hopes of improving asthma therapy and ultimately quality of life.
Our research group has been a select part of multi-center networks funded by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) since the 1990s. The latest NHLBI network is known as Precision Interventions for Severe Asthma (PrecISE).
Asthma and Bronchoscopy
Our research group specializes in utilizing bronchoscopy for some of our research studies. Using this fiberoptic scope allows for direct evaluation and collection of small samples from the airways. In the laboratory, these samples can be analyzed and the results used to explore asthma biology and response to therapy.
Asthma and Investigational Medications
Our physicians also collaborate to design and conduct clinical trials to determine if new, investigational medications are effective in the treatment of severe asthma not adequately controlled by currently available therapies. Current clinical trials are evaluating the effectiveness of a new class of medications known as monoclonal antibodies. These medications target cellular mechanisms known to participate in inflammation of the airways.
Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (EGPA) formerly known as Churg-Strauss Syndrome
Asthma is one of the major features in people who have EGPA. Our lab is currently testing biologic medications that target interleukin-5 for the treatment of EGPA.
Laboratory Staff
