Immune responses to respiratory viruses

Research in this area:

Professor Openshaw's laboratory has worked on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) since 1985 and was amongst the first to show that T cells producing specific subsets of cytokines develope different viral infections and that these different sets of cytokines have crucial influences on the pattern of disease.

Professor Openshaw founded the Department of Respiratory Medicine at St Mary's, which now comprises two Professors, a Senior Lecturer and approximately 30 staff, all working on the immunopathogenesis of pulmonary viral diseases, lung inflammation and obstructive lung disease.

Research in the laboratory is mainly on models of RSV disease and the causes of T cell-mediated disease in teh the lung. Professor Openshaw's current Wellcome Trust Programme exanmines postnatal changed in immune responses to viral infection in early life and the influences of these cahnged on RSV infection.

In addition, the effects of RSV infection (and other respiratory interventions) on the maturation of the pulmonary immune system is being studied, with the aim of understanding why early life exposure to RSV is linked to persistent respiratory symptoms (wheeze and asthma diagnosis) in later life.