About Us
Lung Biology and Toxicology Laboratory (LBTL) was founded in 2000 and underwent a significant transformation in 2008, becoming the Lundberg-Kienlen Lung Biology and Toxicology Laboratory, thanks to the generous support from the Lundberg-Kienlen endowment. LBTL’s core mission is to unravel the pathogenesis of pulmonary diseases and advance the development of diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions for such conditions.
The spectrum of diseases under investigation encompasses those caused by respiratory pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, influenza virus, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, as well as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), and bovine respiratory disease (BRD).
Research activities in LBTL are organized into three broad areas: understanding the pathogenesis of chronic lung diseases, exploring respiratory viral and bacterial infections with a focus on host-pathogen interactions, and advancing stem cell-based therapies and human lung tissue engineering. LBTL’s investigations span multiple levels, from gene expression to whole-animal physiology.
A comprehensive array of cutting-edge techniques is employed in LBTL research, including bulk and single cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptome, proteomics, RNA interference, the CRISP-Cas9 system, genome-wide screens, lung organoids, molecular cloning, real-time PCR, droplet digital PCR, western blot, immunostaining, various biochemical, molecular, and cellular techniques. Physiological parameters are measured using Flexivent, and the laboratory utilizes transgenic and knock-out mice, as wells as various animal models of pulmonary diseases such as bleomycin and asbestos for IPF, cigarette smoke for COPD, and bacterial and viral infections for ARDS. Additionally, LBTL explores in utero and lentivirus/adenovirus-based therapeutic approaches.
Over the years, LBTL has garnered support from esteemed funding agencies including the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Heart Association, March of Dimes Birth Defects, Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, and Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research.
As of 2023, LBTL has played a pivotal role in training the next generation of scientists, having nurtured 39 post-doctoral fellows, 30 Ph.D. students, and 49 undergraduate/professional students. The lab’s trainees have achieved notable recognition, securing received 9 fellowships from the NIH and the American Heart Association, along with 57 grants and 70 various awards from prestigious organizations including American Physiological Society and the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine during their tenure at LBTL.