However, the effect is transient because UTP is rapidly degraded. Furthermore, the chemical is degraded two to three times faster on CF cells than on normal cells. We are also investigating how these enzymes are controlled. Role of Apoptosis in Cystic Fibrosis Sujatha Rajan Columbia University New York, NY, USA Much of the damage in the CF airway is a result of cell injury caused by chronic bacterial infection and an exaggerated inflammatory response. Cell injury is due in part to the induction of apoptosis, or programmed cell death.
Apoptosis is an important mode of cell death at the end of the natural life span of a cell.
Studies have shown that chemicals that regulate the inflammatory response can induce early apoptosis, killing the epithelial cells lining the airway. Further, we have recently shown that P. aeruginosa bacteria can also induce apoptosis in airway epithelial cells. We are interested in the role of apoptosis in CF lung disease. We are examining the ability of cellular chemicals that regulate inflammation to induce apoptosis in laboratory grown cells under different conditions. We are also studying how virulent strains of P. aeruginosa or their products can cause apoptosis, and whether the apoptotic response to inflammation and infection differs in CF cells.