London-based GSK is crossing the pond to form a new lung disease research collaboration with Boston scientists. The Big Pharma is joining forces with researchers from the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) at Boston University and Boston Medical Center to develop new models for lung diseases like pulmonary fibrosis, the researchers announced in an Oct. 17 release.
The primary goal of the research will be to understand how dysfunctional lung epithelial cells contribute to causing and perpetuating pulmonary fibrosis, according to the release. These cells include alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells, which normally help repair the lungs after injury and secrete surfactant that coats the lungs and is needed for breathing.
“We will combine state-of-the-art translational models at the CReM, with extensive multi-omic capabilities at GSK, to advance our understanding of the causal biology of fibrotic lung disease and accelerate the discovery of more effective treatments,” Kaivan Khavandi, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president and global head of respiratory/immunology R&D at GSK, said in the release.
The collaborators will also work to develop new organoid models of lung disease. By combining lung cells and mesenchymal cells, which are stem cells that can turn into various cell types including muscle and connective tissue, the new models are meant to better mimic the complex cell interactions that take place in the lung, the researchers said in the release.
A better lung model will enable studying the basic causes of diseases like pulmonary fibrosis, as well as the testing of potential new drugs, according to the release. The researchers also hope that the collaboration can help eliminate racial disparities in lung disease outcomes. For example, one study found that Black patients with pulmonary fibrosis were significantly younger when they were first hospitalized, received a lung transplant and died compared to Hispanic and white patients.
“70% of our patient population identify as being people of color,” Megan Bair-Merritt, M.D., professor of pediatrics and chief scientific officer at BMC, said in the release. “The collaboration with GSK will inform the development of new treatments for lung diseases that help address these disparities and pave the way for a healthier future for everyone.”