Scanning EM view of bronchial epithelial cells differentiated in vitro.

Epithelial goblet cell hyperplasia induced by in vitro exposure to IL-13.

a-smooth muscle actin expression induced in asthmatic myofibroblasts by TGFb

2D gel analysis of bronchial epithelial cells.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

• Leader of the Growth Factor and Cell Signalling Group (The Brooke Laboratories) which has established a new understanding of the contribution of the airway tissue (as opposed to inflammation) towards susceptibility for development of asthma. This is aiding development of new treatments for asthma.
  
• Member of the Medical Research Council College of Experts
  
• Member of Asthma UK Scientific Committee
  
• Consultant to pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry 

AREA OF EXPERTISE
Asthma, Smoking-related lung disease, virus Infections (lung), airway cell biology. 

RESEARCH AIMS
We are investigating the abnormal functional responses of airway structural cells in asthma and COPD. Our focus is on how altered responses to tissue injury lead to the formation of an airway microenvironment that sustains persistent inflammation and promotes remodeling (structural changes in the airways that contribute to symptoms that are not responsive to steroid therapy).
We place a strong emphasis on the use of disease-derived cells and tissues for use in functional and mechanistic studies in vitro and linking these back to responses in vivo. We are particularly interested in how asthmatic cells respond to: 

• Air pollutants e.g: ozone, particles 
  
• Allergens such as: house dust mite allergens 
  
• Viruses e.g: the common cold viruses 

Another important component of our work is understanding how asthma genes contribute to the disease. A major focus of our work now is to understand the function of ADAM33, an asthma gene that was identified by Professor Holgate in 2002. We are working towards dissecting its normal function in the airways and this is changed in asthma to cause the development and/or worsening of the disease. We are particularly interested to determine whether the effect of ADAM33 occurs in young children and babies, or even in utero and whether (and how) environmental factors influence the ability of ADAM33 to cause asthma.

MEDIA INTEREST
Professor Davies is an internationally respected specialist in airway cell biology and is regularly invited to speak worldwide on this topic. Prof Davies’ work on the inability of asthmatic airway cells to protect themselves effectively against the common cold virus and the potential for a new treatment to add back this protection has resulted in considerable media interest.