The role of lung-derived extracellular vesicles in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by chronic airway inflammation and defective innate immunity. Understanding the complex network of intercellular communication between damaged airway epithelial cells and immune cells that orchestrate COPD pathogenesis is essential for the development of more sensitive diagnostics and personalised therapeutics. There is accumulating evidence that microRNA (miRNA) selectively packaged into extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate intercellular communication and are dysregulated in a number of diseases including COPD. Our underdtanding of the function of EV miRNA in COPD remains limited. The main aim of this study is to analyse the role of lung-derived EV miRNA released from bronchial epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages in COPD pathogenesis using an air-liquid interface (ALI) in vitro model.