Our studies  are  focused on the development of    Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) - based therapies for respiratory diseases, investigation of the mechanisms of action of MSCs and MSC extracellular vesicles   in the injured lung and the  role of lung-resident MSCs in lung repair and regeneration. Our central goal is to understand how MSC (and their EVs) work in the context of the injury microenvironment, how MSC modulate reparative capacities of the host cells and if we can enhance MSC therapeutic potential. We hope that this research will allow to develop better cell therapies as well as to  identify new therapeutic targets.

Given difficulties in  applying  the knowledge gained in animal models in a logical way to the human disease process, we have strong interest in physiologically relevant models of the human lung tissue such as organoids, lung-on-chip and decel-recel approach.  We have recently established  a novel organoid model of the distal lung based on primary human cells.

Ongoing work is investigating the ability of MSC-derived extracellular vesicles to alleviate lung injury through transfer of healthy mitochondria and miRNAs, and the role of endogenous lung MSCs in regulation of endothelial and epithelial cells using an organoid model of the distal lung.