Macrophage-augmented human airway organoids for developing pan-coronavirus therapies

Due to the large number of circulating coronavirus species, the following coronavirus epidemic is a matter of time. This project aims to develop innovative treatment strategies for the treatment of serious infections of both currently circulating coronaviruses and new variants that will pop up in the future. Such a strategy will use common characteristics that share different human coronaviruses. These characteristics can cause serious acute infections that are accompanied by extensive inflammation in vulnerable population groups. During this study, macrophages built -in human airway organoids will be developed that can simulate both a corona virus infection and the subsequent inflammatory reaction. Through screening for medicines, this project will identify therapies to inhibit both the viral infection and the subsequent inflammatory reaction from different coronaviruses.