Understanding and controlling remodelling in pulmonary fibrosis and asthma

疤痕组织的形成是对组织损伤的正常反应。当呼吸道和肺组织因接触刺激物而受损时，疤痕形成会极大地削弱肺的功能，使氧气能够转移到组织中。在严重的疾病中，疤痕可能是致命的。我们发现，参与疤痕组织形成的两个因素相互抵消了彼此的影响。我们正在研究人类肺部的这种相互作用，以开发治疗疤痕相关肺部疾病的新方法。

The development of scar tissue is a normal response to tissue injury. When airway and lung tissue is injured by exposure to irritants, scarring greatly diminishes the function of the lung to allow transfer of oxygen to the tissue. In severe disease, the scarring may be fatal. We discovered that two factors involved in formation of scar tissue neutralise each other's effects. We are examining this interaction in human lung to develop new treatments for scarring-related lung diseases.