Glycomic and Genomic Repercussion of Nebulisable Gal-3 Inhibitory Medical Device Treatment in Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) accounts for a progressive pathology with extremely high mortality and no cure available. There is a need to study pathology mechanisms for efficient treatments development. Galectin-3 (Gal-3) has shown promising effects in slowing down IPF.

In this project, I will optimise nebulisation of a novel Gal-3 inhibitory drug (TD139) hydrogel treatment in bleomycin-induced PF mice model, perform an exhaustive genomic analysis to assess single-cell RNA trajectories during pathology recovery, and analyse tissue glycosylation patters for disease correlation.

All this will allow for information on diseases and healing mechanisms to development efficient biomaterials treatments and contribute to the 3rd Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations Good Health and Well-Being for all.

I will perform nebulisation studies during secondment in specialised aerosol drug delivery industry (Aerogen/John Power) (Ireland), in vivo model and exhaustive genomic analysis during outgoing phase in IPF genomic expert lab (Prof Kaminski) at PCCSM, Yale School of Medicine (US), and thorough lectin microarray analysis during incoming phase in glycolbiologist and biomaterials expert lab (Prof Pandit) at CRAM, NUI Galway (Ireland).

The high expertise of the supervisors, my expertise in biomaterials, the highly qualified and prestigious hosts infrastructures and the intersectoral, international and interdisciplinary aspects of the action will promote my skills for eligibility for the EU Research Council Starting Grant.

This will allow me to stablish a Biomaterial Therapies Critical Mass for Respiratory Diseases (RD) in EU and comply with the EU Respiratory Society objective to promote scientific excellence to alleviate suffering of RD.

In addition, I will work in a detailed career development plan to promote translation, research integrity, inclusion of minorities, audience engagement and gender dimension for a more impactful and representative research.