Submitted on June 15, 2009
Accepted on June 15, 2009
Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Can studies in engineered cells tell us why is it such a problem in people with cystic fibrosis?
Pamela L Zeitlin1*
1 Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: pzeitlin{at}jhmi.edu.
The airways of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are vulnerable to colonization and infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa). A defect in innate immunity may explain the relentless progression of obstructive lung disease that leads to early mortality. When a functional CFTR protein is localized to apical membrane lipid rafts, Pa is efficiently internalized by airway epithelial cells. In the absence of CFTR or interference with caveolin 1 in lipid rafts, Pa is not internalized, and an effective immune response to Pa is diminished.
