Thannickal lab studies cellular and molecular mechanisms of lung repair and regeneration. Active studies in Thannickal lab involve elucidating mechanisms of cellular senescence, oxidative stress, and aging in the context of chronic lung diseases, in concert with the development of therapeutics and biomarkers for complex lung diseases. The clinical impact of our work is evidenced by current and emerging anti-fibrotic therapies in pre-clinical/clinical development, including inhibitors of FAK/Akt, MRTF-A/ROCK, BRD4, and NOX4.
Learn about our current work.
Therapeutic Targeting of the Myofibroblast in Fibrotic Lung Disease
Understand the links between cellular redox control and metabolic reprogramming, uncover novel regulatory mechanisms of macrophage polarization, and uncoverpreviously unrecognizedconnections between innate/adaptive immunity, epigenetics and lung fibrosis. Importantly, this tPPGwill advance a novel anti-fibrotic drug therapy that more specifically targets redox biology in IPF, which will enable future Phase III clinical trials.
Learn more about our current members, alumni, and collaborators.
Browse the latest scientific discoveries and advances from our lab.
Aging Cell · 2021-09-21
Mitochondrial uncoupling protein-2 reprograms metabolism to induce oxidative stress and myofibroblast senescence in age-associated lung fibrosis
Read publicationSci Transl Med . · 2014-04-09
Reversal of persistent fibrosis in aging by targeting Nox4-Nrf2 redox imbalance
Read publicationThe Journal of clinical investigation · 2024-12-22
The lung mesenchyme in development, regeneration, and fibrosis.
Read publicationThe Journal of biological chemistry · 2024-12-22
Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase mediates lipofibroblast-myofibroblast transition and apoptosis resistance.
Read publicationNature Aging · 2024-12-22
Restoration of SIRT3 gene expression by airway delivery resolves age-associated persistent lung fibrosis in mice.
Read publicationeLife · 2024-12-22
Mesenchymal stromal cell aging impairs the self-organizing capacity of lung alveolar epithelial stem cells.
Read publicationNature Medicine · 2018-08-24
Metformin reverses established lung fibrosis in a bleomycin model
Read publicationBrowse the latest scientific discoveries and advances from our lab.
NHLBI ·
Bromodomain-containing Protein 4 in Profibrotic Gene Expression and Lung Fibrosis
NHLBI ·
Metabolic Landscape of the Aging Lung
NHLBI ·
Metabolic Reprogramming of the Alveolar Stem Cell Niche in Pulmonary Fibrosis
Department of Veterans Affairs, Merit Award ·
Sirtuins in Lung Aging and Fibrosis
NHLBI ·
Therapeutic Targeting of the Myofibroblast in Fibrotic Lung Disease
We take our culture seriously.