Investigating neutrophil formyl peptide receptor number and function in bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease that results in frequent infections leading to repeated courses of antibiotics, hospital admissions and in many cases an early death. One of the hallmarks is accumulation of white blood cells in the lung, these cells are useful in fighting infection but too many of them results in worsening lung damage. The white cells are drawn in by recognising specific factors released in the disease process. Investigating the role these factors play, and how they interact with and influence white cell function, will improve understanding of bronchiectasis and potentially aid the development of new and better drugs. In this project we will take blood from bronchiectasis patients and measure the presence of one specific recognition protein used by white cells to navigate into the lung and then look to see whether the bronchiectasis white cells respond differently. This project will help determine whether this protein is a potential drug target