Lung Stem Cells and Microenvironment Group
Dr Jonathan McQualter’s heads the Lung Stem Cells and Microenvironment Group which focuses on characterising the molecular and cellular interactions involved in regulating lung stem cells. In particular, Dr McQualter has a strong interest in understanding the receptor mediated signaling pathways and the dynamic interactions with the microenvironment that are fundamental to the regulation of lung epithelial stem and progenitor cells. His group has recently developed an innovative 3D cell culture assay that recapitulates the epithelial-mesenchymal interactions of the lung and enables the clonal proliferation and differentiation of epithelial stem cells in vitro. This clonogenic assay provides a precise and powerful quantitative tool for analysis of stem cells in the normal and diseased lung previously unavailable to the field. With this innovative technology they are able to undertake a reductionist analysis of the regulatory factors that mediate the fate and specificity of adult lung epithelial stem cells.
This work addresses an area of utmost importance in human health with more than half a billion people worldwide struggling each year for life and breath due to chronic respiratory diseases. Understanding the signalling mechanisms involved in regulating lung epithelial stem cells will ultimately inform the development of stem cell targeted therapies to enhance the regenerative capacity of the lung. Equally, this research will provide critical insight into the role of perturbed epithelial stem cell regulation in lung epithelial remodeling, a major clinical manifestation of chronic asthma and COPD, and in the initiation, propagation and metastasis of lung cancers.
KEY PUBLICATIONS
- Bertoncello I, McQualter JL. (2010). In vitro culture of adult lung epithelial stem/progenitor cells. Current Protocols in Stem Cell Science, Chapter 2:Unit 2G.1.
- Teisanu RM, Chen H, Matsumoto K, McQualter JL, Potts E, Foster WM, Bertoncello I, Stripp BR. (2010). Functional Analysis of Two Distinct Bronchiolar Progenitors during Lung Injury and Repair. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology
- Bertoncello I, McQualter JL. (2010). Endogenous lung stem cells: what is their potential for use in regenerative medicine? Expert Reviews in Respiratory Medicine 4: 349-62
- McQualter JL, Yuen K, Williams B, Bertoncello I. (2010). Evidence of an epithelial stem/progenitor cell hierarchy in the adult mouse lung. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the USA 107: 1414-9
- McQualter JL, Brouard N, Williams B, Baird BN, Sims-Lucas S, Yuen K, Nilsson SK, Simmons PJ, Bertoncello I. (2009). Endogenous fibroblastic progenitor cells in the adult mouse lung are highly enriched in the sca-1 positive cell fraction. Stem Cells 27: 623-33
- Chan J, Ban EJ, Chun KH, Wang S, McQualter J, Bernard C, Toh BH, Alderuccio F. (2008). Methylprednisolone induces reversible clinical and pathological remission and loss of lymphocyte reactivity to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Autoimmunity 41: 405-13
- McQualter JL, Bernard CC. (2007). Multiple sclerosis: a battle between destruction and repair. Journal of Neurochemistry 100: 295-306
- Cretney E, McQualter JL, Kayagaki N, Yagita H, Bernard CC, Grewal IS, Ashkenazi A, Smyth MJ. (2005). TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)/Apo2L suppresses experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice. Immunology and Cell Biology 83: 511-9
- Karnezis T, Mandemakers W, McQualter JL, Zheng B, Ho PP, Jordan KA, Murray BM, Barres B, Tessier-Lavigne M, Bernard CC. (2004) The neurite outgrowth inhibitor Nogo A is involved in autoimmune-mediated demyelination. Nature Neuroscience 7: 736-44
- McQualter, J. L., Darwiche, R., Ewing, C., Onuki, M., Kay, T. W., Hamilton, J. A., Reid, H. H. and Bernard, C. C. (2001) Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor: a new putative therapeutic target in multiple sclerosis. Journal of Experimental Medicine 194(7): 873-82
Reviewed in: “Current Opinion in Immunology - Highlights” 2002, 14:10 and “Nature Reviews – Immunology, Highlights In Brief” Nov 2001, 1:89
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