Professor Dave Thornton
BSc, PhD
Summary
Contact details:
Michael Smith Building|Oxford Road|Manchester|M13 9PT
Research interests
Research in my laboratory is focused on understanding how the sticky, gel-like substance mucus protects the body. Research is focused on two major topics;
• How does mucus protect our lungs?
• How does mucus protect against gut-living parasitic worms?
In the lungs, mucus is essential in keeping the airways free from obstruction. Mucus traps inhaled bugs and particles and then hair-like cells (cilia) move the mucus out of the lungs. In diseases like asthma, cystic fibrosis and chronic bronchitis too much mucus, which is stickier than normal, is produced and it is not efficiently removed from the lungs. This results in airflow obstruction, infection, damage to lung tissue and problems with breathing. We are trying to understand how mucins, the molecules that give mucus its gel-like appearance, contribute to the abnormal properties of mucus in disease.
Infections by gut-living whipworms are a major public health problem, mainly in the developing world. For these studies we are using a mouse model of human whipworm infection. We discovered that the mucus barrier and its mucin components are an essential part of a well-coordinated response to protect against of gut-living worms. We are actively investigating the details of this important protective function.
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Highlight publications
- Thornton DJ, Rousseau K, McGuckin MA. (2008). Structure and Function of the Polymeric Mucins in Airways Mucus. Annual Review of Physiology, 70, 459-486. eScholarID:1c6989 | PMID:17850213 | DOI:10.1146/annurev.physiol.70.113006.100702
- Kirkham S, Kolsum U, Rousseau K, Singh D, Vestbo J, Thornton DJ. (2008). MUC5B is the Major Mucin in the Gel-phase of Sputum in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine, 178(10), 1033-39. eScholarID:1c7766 | PMID:18776153 | DOI:10.1164/rccm.200803-391OC
- Hasnain,, S.Z., Wang, H., Ghia, J.E., Haq, N., Deng, Y., Grencis, R.K., Velcich, A., Thornton, D.J. and Khan, W.I. (2010). Mucin Gene Deficiency in Mice Impairs Host Resistance to Enteric Parasitic Infection. Gastroenterology, 138(5), 1763-1761. eScholarID:81451 | DOI:10.1053/j.gastro.2010.01.045
- Hasnain SZ, Evans CM, Roy M, Gallagher AL, Kindrachuk KN, Barron L, Dickey BF, Wilson MS, Wynn TA, Grencis RK, Thornton DJ. (2011). Muc5ac: a critical component mediating the rejection of enteric nematodes. J Exp Med, 208(5), 893-900. eScholarID:123333 | DOI:10.1084/jem.20102057
Full list
PhD projects available
List of titles only - links to full details on the PhD projects page.
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