Smits Lab - Infection and Lung Immunology
Our research focuses on how commensals influence and guard against inflammation in the lungs and upper respiratory tract, particularly in response to allergens, viral infections, or irritants. These triggers form essential risk factors for developing chronic respiratory diseases like asthma or COPD.
Our primary objective is to develop microbial-based strategies to prevent or mitigate the exacerbation of inflammatory lung diseases.
We investigate the impact of rural-to-urban lifestyle transitions on children's immune development and susceptibility to allergic and respiratory diseases. These transitions may lead to changes in environmental microbial exposure, air pollution, microbiome composition, including gut helminth infections. To study the impact, we examine mucosal immunity and respiratory health in rural and urban populations (Indonesia and Africa).
…Our research focuses on how commensals influence and guard against inflammation in the lungs and upper respiratory tract, particularly in response to allergens, viral infections, or irritants. These triggers form essential risk factors for developing chronic respiratory diseases like asthma or COPD.
Our primary objective is to develop microbial-based strategies to prevent or mitigate the exacerbation of inflammatory lung diseases.
We investigate the impact of rural-to-urban lifestyle transitions on children's immune development and susceptibility to allergic and respiratory diseases. These transitions may lead to changes in environmental microbial exposure, air pollution, microbiome composition, including gut helminth infections. To study the impact, we examine mucosal immunity and respiratory health in rural and urban populations (Indonesia and Africa).
We employ in vitro and in vivo models to dissect complex molecular mechanisms underlying immune modulation by environmental and gut-derived microbes. Using primary human cells and animal models of allergic airway inflammation, we investigate how helminth infections, airborne microbes, farm dust, and gut microbial metabolites influence immune responses. Our studies focus on myeloid cells and primary bronchial and nasal epithelial cells, employing co-culture models to explore immune interactions in allergies, asthma, and rhinovirus infections.
Through clinical collaborations, we investigate dietary (e.g. MARTHA trial), and microbial exposure interventions (e.g. Protea study) in young children. These studies examine immune development systemically and at nasal mucosa in relation to microbiome composition and respiratory health outcomes. Additionally, we study nasal mucosal immunity in human cohorts of allergic rhinitis, asthma, COPD, and COVID-19 to identify immune deviations associated with respiratory disease severity. Our research employs advanced methodologies such as mass and spectral flow cytometry, transcriptomics, and secretomics. Additionally, we are launching challenge and intervention studies to test the effects of commensal-derived products on human subjects.