Welcome to the Marsico Lung Institute/UNC Cystic Fibrosis Center | Marsico Lung Institute

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The Molecular Biology Core was established to provide expertise, equipment, training, and reagents to serve the molecular biology needs for Cystic Fibrosis Research.
The Histology Core facility was established in 1989 to provide histology services to the investigators associated with the Marsico Lung Institute. The objective of the Core is to provide high quality light and electron microscopy services in support of the research goals of our investigators.
The MLI Tissue Procurement and Cell Culture Core (TPC) was established to provide standardized cell cultures for CF research. The TPC serves as a central source of normal, CF and disease control cells, tissues and fluids for a wide array of uses. The TPC has prepared cells from approximately 6,900 human tissue specimens over the past 26 years, providing an average of 13 x 109 viable primary human airway epithelial cells per year over the past five years.
The Marsico Lung Institute/UNC Cystic Fibrosis Center Animal Models Core is dedicated to providing access for collaborating scientists to animal models critical for in vivo studies that provide insights into pulmonary disease pathophysiology and treatment. The Animal Models Core has been involved in the generation and/or study of over 25 lines of transgenic or knockout mice for a variety of collaborators over the years.
Multiple research strategies for treating patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are currently being explored. The Cystic Fibrosis Molecular/Functional Measurement Core provides services to analyze the efficacy of treatments that target different stages in the pathogenic sequelae of CF disease development. Pre-clinical drug candidates are assessed by conducting tests using the following models: 1) culture models generated from patients’ cells (in vitro), 2) patient tissues (ex vivo), and 3) relevant animal models of CF and other lung diseases (in vivo).
To translate CF therapeutic strategies from basic research to clinical studies, the assessment of drug candidates in physiologically relevant assays is required. To support translational CF research, the CFTR Functional Analysis Core evaluates effectiveness of candidate therapies on CFTR expression and processing by biochemical analyses and on CFTR activity by functional measurements.

The Molecular Biology Core

The Histology Core

The Tissue Procurement and Cell Culture Core

The Animal Models Core

The Cystic Fibrosis Molecular/Functional Measurement Core

The CFTR Functional Analysis Core

Marsico Lung Institute/UNC Cystic Fibrosis Center

Image of MUC16

An Atomic Force Microscope Image of MUC16.

MUC16 is one of the glycoproteins found in the glycocalyx, which is the tethered gel network that helps to protect cells from pathogens. MUC16 is heavily coated with chains of sugar. The image above, captured by Jerome Carpenter, PhD, shows a single MUC16 molecule with keratan sulfate sugar chains (keratan sulfate chains are the “hair-like” protrusions from the central strand). Scale bar = 200 nm.

Credit: Carpenter J, Kesimer M. Membrane-bound mucins of the airway mucosal surfaces are densely decorated with keratan sulfate: revisiting their role in the Lung’s innate defense. Glycobiology. 2021 May 3;31(4):436-443. doi: 10.1093/glycob/cwaa089. PMID: 33083824; PMCID: PMC8091473.

Recent News

Scott Randell, PhD

David Peden, MD, MS

Yu Mikami & Takanori Asakura receiving the Respiratory Research Award