Researchers with the University of Missouri School of Medicine recently received a $2.77 million grant from the National Institute of Health to study immune cells in the lungs.
Emma Teixeiro, one of the grant recipients, is a professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and Surgery at the University of Missouri School of Medicine.
She and her lab will be working to improve vaccines and treatments for respiratory illnesses through the grant, according to a news release from the School of Medicine.
Teixeiro is studying nuclear factor-kappa B (NFkB), a group of proteins that controls different functions in the cell including cell growth and inflammation, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Teixerio and her lab's research has shown that NFkB levels can affect how the immune system responds to respiratory viruses, which has pushed researchers to understand the role NFkB can play. They will study this molecular 'switch' and how it can create and maintain the immune system in the lungs.
“We are exploring how specific inflammatory-associated molecules may influence the body during infection, especially when their levels are elevated, and if they may be feasible therapeutic targets,” Teixeiro said.
The NIH grant will provide $2.77 million to the study over the next four years, according to the news release.
To report an error or typo, email news@komu.com.
