Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Sinus and Allergy Program
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Project 2: Pathogenic Mechanisms of CRS

Project 2 investigates the pathogenic mechanisms of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in collaboration with Project 1 (GHS) and Project 3 (U of C) to test important hypotheses with clinical and potential therapeutic relevance in CRS.

The four overarching hypotheses are:

  1. that nasal polyp (NP) tissue promotes activation, proliferation and differentiation of B lineage cells leading to their expansion and autoimmune antibody production in the NP
  2. that autoimmunity is responsible for recalcitrant disease in patients that require frequent surgical intervention
  3. that exacerbations of CRS are triggered by human rhinovirus (HRV), explaining their predominance during the respiratory virus season
  4. that infection of CRS patients with HRV activates B lineage cells in patients with CRS

We are testing these hypotheses using laboratory investigations to understand observations made in humans and testing discoveries made in the laboratory in human subjects.