Susceptibility Of Copd And Cigarette Smoke Airway Epithelia To Sars-Cov-2

The lungs are the organs most affected by COVID-19 as the SARS-CoV-2 virus results in asymptomatic or mild symptoms hospitalizations and mortality due to respiratory failure. Given the enormous impact of the virus on health and well-being, it is important to get insight into its pathogenic interaction with humans. We are exploring the epithelial changes that lead to increased susceptibility to disease, and also, quantifying changes that occur after viral exposure to determine the likelihood of chronic respiratory disease even after recovery from acute infection. Our understanding of the role of environmental exposures such as cigarette-smoke or vaping electronic cigarettes in modifying the response to SARS-CoV-2 is emerging and smoking has been associated with worsened outcomes in SARS-CoV-2 patients. The proposed study will improve our understanding of how cigarette smoke increases our susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection in the lungs and help in developing a therapy for prevention and treatment.