Ruobing Wang, MD

Our research focuses on understanding how respiratory viruses impact lungs affected by diseases such as cystic fibrosis. To do this, we use an innovative human airway model developed from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These stem cells allow us to create airway tissues that closely mimic real human airways.  With this advanced platform, we can study how diseased airways respond to viral infections—including SARS-CoV-2 and other common respiratory viruses. Our goal is to identify new treatment strategies to better protect and heal people living with lung diseases.

The Keith R. Ayres Emerging Respiratory Pathogens Award 

Update: In the past year, we made important progress toward understanding how a cystic fibrosis (CF) treatment helps protect the lungs from viral infections. We also expanded our laboratory model, which uses cells derived from stem cells, to study additional viruses that commonly infect the lungs. Building on our earlier research, we confirmed that airway cells from people with CF are more vulnerable to infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. We also found that the widely used, effective three-drug CF treatment elexacaftor / tezacaftor / ivacaftor (ETI) helps protect these cells from infection by activating important immune defense pathways. We also have developed new gene-editing tools to better understand how these immune pathways work, and we expanded our studies to include influenza A, the OC43 coronavirus and rhinovirus, a common cause of colds. Together, these findings move us closer to developing better treatments to prevent or reduce viral lung infections in people with CF.