Hamilton

Lower respiratory tract infections are the leading cause of death from infectious diseases worldwide, including before the COVID-19 pandemic. Respiratory viruses often enter through the nose, where they multiply and spread easily between people. Researchers want to better understand how these viruses behave inside the nose, how they move from the nose to the lungs, and how they spread from person to person. This study collects cell samples from the noses of healthy adults to create a biobank for future respiratory virus research. About 100 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 99 will participate, typically with just one visit. During the visit, participants will use a slender swab with small bristles to gently brush inside their nose to collect cells. Clinic staff will assist if needed. Personal information like name, age, and sex will be collected and encoded to protect privacy. Participants will answer health questions and must not have symptoms like runny nose, cough, congestion, or fever for at least 14 days before participating. Researchers will use the nasal cells to develop upper respiratory tract organoids, validate testing methods, and study the causes of emerging respiratory viruses. The study will last up to 10 years to support long-term research efforts.

Researchers are studying how human phagocytic cells, such as neutrophils, interact with bacterial pathogens to understand why some bacteria can evade the body's normal immune defenses and cause disease. The research aims to identify specific mechanisms used by these bacteria to bypass or disrupt phagocyte responses and to clarify how these interactions contribute to disease or inflammation. The study also seeks to find bacterial genes or proteins that affect how phagocytes respond to different pathogens, using advanced techniques in genomics and proteomics. The investigation involves analyzing phagocyte-pathogen interactions through various laboratory methods including fluorescence-based real-time assays, video microscopy, confocal and electron microscopy, and enzymatic tests for reactive oxygen species production. Healthy adult volunteers will provide blood samples from which phagocytic leukocytes are isolated. The study focuses on understanding how these immune cells respond to bacterial challenges and how certain pathogens avoid being destroyed. Participants will undergo health screenings to confirm they are healthy adults without medical conditions that affect phagocyte function. Blood and tissue samples may be collected and stored for future research. Researchers will monitor cellular responses using biochemical, immunological, and cell biology techniques to measure how phagocytes react to pathogens. The findings aim to enhance knowledge of host-pathogen interactions and inflammatory disease processes.