Research Mission
Our laboratory includes basic science and translational research with 2 main areas of interest:
- understanding nasal epithelium in health and disease, and
- promoting upper airway mucosal regeneration in response to injury from surgery, chemicals, and toxins in human and animal model systems.
Out research also includes understanding nasal immune system dysfunctions in patients with chronic diseases such as cystic fibrosis and rhinosinusitis
The ultimate goal of our efforts is to more effectively treat debilitating inflammatory sinus disorders, particularly with regard to empty nose syndrome (ENS) and to create functional respiratory mucosal issue grafts/lining material to address upper (nasal) and lower (pulmonary) airway diseases
Nayak Research Lab, 2019
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NIH Awards $2.4 Million to Dr. Nayak's Research, March 2021
Dr. Nayak's R-01 independent investigator grant application to the NIH was funded this morning (3/1/2021) by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). This is a 5-year award (3/1/2021 - 1/31/2026) totaling $2.4M, to support his laboratory group's pre-clinical in vitro and in vivo animal model work to optimize the transplantation of CRISPR gene-corrected human stem cells into the airway epithelium, as a candidate treatment for cystic fibrosis sinusitis.
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Featured Article: "“High-Efficiency, Selection-Free Gene Repair in Airway Stem Cells from Cystic Fibrosis Patients Rescues CFTR Function in Differentiated Epithelia.”, February 2020
Vaidyanathan, Sriram, Ameen A. Salahudeen, Zachary M. Sellers, Dawn T. Bravo, Shannon S. Choi, Arpit Batish, Wei Le, et al. “High-Efficiency, Selection-Free Gene Repair in Airway Stem Cells from Cystic Fibrosis Patients Rescues CFTR Function in Differentiated Epithelia.” Cell Stem Cell 26, no. 2 (February 6, 2020): 161-171.e4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2019.11.002.
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California's Stem Cell Agency (CIRM) Awards $2.2 Million to Dr. Nayak's Research, 2017
In 2017, we received a CIRM award as part of a Stanford collaborative cystic fibrosis gene editing group with $2.2 million to advance the use of CRISPR technology to perform genome correction of the CFTR chloride transport mutations in airway stem cells.
Our Funding and Support
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CA Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) 2017-2019 Co-I with Drs. Matthew Porteus, Calvin Kuo, Tushar Desai
Philanthropic Support: Anonymous Donor Support
CCHI – “Influenza virus tropism for human nasal epithelial basal cells of the upper airway.”