Identification of Patient-specific Master Regulator Proteins Associated with SARS-CoV-2-Infection and Pulmonary Fibrosis in Lung-on-Chip

Principal Investigator: 

Prof. Dr. med. Th. Geiser, University Clinic for Pneumology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and Pulmonary Medicine Research Group, Department for Biomedical Research, University of Bern. For more information, please visit the website.

We characterize the molecular pathways of SARS-CoV-2 infection in lung alveolar epithelial cells and use a lung-on-chip model developed by AlveoliX in combination with computational analysis of RNA expression data generating Master Regulator Protein Activity signatures. We will characterize the early and late phenotypic changes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in patient-specific lung alveolar epithelial cells in order to identify regulatory network alterations and pro-inflammatory molecular alterations that trigger fibrosis, a long-term complication in patients suffering from COVID. We hope to obtain important results for the identification of patient-specific therapeutic targets, developing a precision medicine approach in COVID-related lung disease.