Emanuela Marina Bruscia PhD

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Respiratory)

Research Interests

Cystic Fibrosis; Lung inflammation; Macrophages

Research Summary

Our research aims to understand how CFTR--the gene that, when mutated, causes Cystic Fibrosis (CF)--affects innate immunity and how this will impact the progression of CF lung disease. We have performed pioneering studies demonstrating that CFTR expression is necessary for the normal function of an important player of the innate immune response: macrophages. Using in vitro and in vivo models, we are dissecting the molecular mechanisms by which CFTR affects these cells.

Selected Publications

  • Innate immunity in cystic fibrosis lung disease (Review). Hartl D, Gaggar A, Bruscia EM, Hector A, Marcos V, Jung A, Greene C, McElvaney G, Mall M, Döring G. J Cyst Fibros. 2012 Sep;11(5):363-82.
  • Nebulized Hyaluronan Ameliorates Lung Inflammation in Cystic Fibrosis Mice. Gavina M, Luciani A, Villella VR, Esposito S, Ferrari E, Bressani I, Casale A, Bruscia EM, Maiuri L and Raia V. Pediatric Pulmonology. 2012 Jul 23.
  • The Carbon Monoxide Releasing Molecule CORM-2 attenuates Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation. Murray TS, Okegbe C, Gao Y, Kazmierczak BI, Motterlini R, Dietrich LE, Bruscia EM. PLoS One. 2012;7(4):e35499.
  • Abnormal trafficking and degradation of TLR4 underlie the elevated inflammatory response in cystic fibrosis. Bruscia EM, Zhang PX, Satoh A, Caputo C, Medzhitov R, Shenoy A, Egan ME, Krause DS. J Immunol. 2011 Jun 15;186(12):6990-8.
  • Macrophages directly contribute to the exaggerated inflammatory response in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator-/- mice. Bruscia EM, Zhang PX, Ferreira E, Caputo C, Emerson JW, Tuck D, Krause DS, Egan ME. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2009 Mar;40(3):295-304
  • Assessment of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) activity in CFTR-null mice after bone marrow transplantation. Bruscia EM, Price JE, Cheng EC, Weiner S, Caputo C, Ferreira EC, Egan ME, Krause DS. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Feb 21;103(8):2965-70

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