AV俱乐部 one in every 3,600 babies born in Canada has cystic fibrosis (CF). It鈥檚 the most common fatal genetic disease affecting Canadian children and young adults.
Dr. Zhenyu Cheng, a microbiologist at AV俱乐部 Medical School, is studying a bacterium called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The microbe can trigger disease in plants and animals, and it鈥檚 particularly dangerous for people living with cystic fibrosis. In CF patients, the pathogen causes persistent lung infections that lead to progressive destruction of lung tissue.
鈥淧eople who have cystic fibrosis are very susceptible to P. aeruginosa. It鈥檚 an opportunistic pathogen that can pry on weakened immune systems,鈥� says Dr. Cheng, assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 pervasive; it鈥檚 found everywhere in our environment.鈥�
Using plant biology to improve human health
Dr. Cheng鈥檚 laboratory is one of only a handful in the world that focuses on defense responses against P. aeruginosa in both plant and animal models. His research team is trying to figure out how to prevent the bacterium from taking hold in the body 鈥� especially in those who have immune deficiencies.
鈥淏别肠补耻蝉别 P. aeruginosa cells tend to survive antibiotic treatment, it鈥檚 especially hard for CF patients 鈥� and others who are immunocompromised 鈥� to get rid of this infection,鈥� explains Dr. Cheng, who was recently recruited to Halifax after finishing postdoctoral training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
鈥淚f there鈥檚 enough of the pathogen accumulated, once the immune system is not at its full strength, P. aeruginosa can kick in and cause all sorts of complications in the long-term. It鈥檚 a huge problem for CF patients; it鈥檚 the leading cause of their morbidity.鈥�
Seeking ways to improve antibiotics
Trained as a plant biologist, Dr. Cheng and his colleagues are seeking new ways to boost the immune system in order to prevent 鈥� or fight off 鈥� P. aeruginosa infection. It鈥檚 long been thought that microbial pathogenesis invade plants and animals in similar ways.
鈥淚n my postdoctoral lab, I identified a novel immune pathway that can defend against P. aeruginosa in a plant host. So now I want to investigate how these pathways play a role in P. aeruginosa infection in the human immune system. I鈥檓 taking what we found in the plant model and applying it to humans.鈥�
鈥淎nother line of research in my lab is to try to understand how P. aeruginosa develops resistance to treatment. The goal is to better design and screen for compounds that will enhance the effectiveness of existing antibiotics,鈥� says Dr. Cheng. 鈥淭his should then lead to the identification of new drug candidates that can alleviate 鈥� by killing off the bacterium 鈥� the devastating inflammation in the lungs of CF patients.鈥�
Dr. Cheng鈥檚 research is funded by Cystic Fibrosis Canada (CFC). He was recently awarded the CFC鈥檚 Marsha Morton Early Career Investigator Award to advance his work.