Most people know about gut microbiome, but only a few are probably aware that we also have lung microbiome. Our lungs are thus not sterile, but when you suffer from the disease cystic fibrosis, it is harmful bacteria that are taking up most of the space inside them. In her PhD project, Katrine Madsen is studying these very harmful bacteria in order to learn more about the disease and eventually find an even better treatment.
"I grow lung tissue from stem cells in petri dishes, and infect them with the two bacteria found in the lungs of people suffering from cystic fibrosis. In this way, I'm able to gain a greater insight into the course of the disease. One bacterium, for example, is more aggressive than the other, so it simply kills the other bacterium over time. This in turn can have an impact on the amount and type of antibiotics which are needed to treat the disease," says Katrine Madsen.
"I'm currently investigating what happens when both bacteria are present in the tissue, and I'm also infecting lung tissue with mutations, i.e. new variants of the bacteria that are also often found in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis," she explains.
Katrine Madsen has access to the stem cells in the stem cell laboratory at DTU Biosustain. The lung tissue that Katrine Madsen is examining is thus healthy to begin with, because it comes from a healthy stem cell donor.
A research collaboration that can save lives
Katrine Madsen's interest in the human body goes all the way back to her primary school days when she wrote an essay about breast cancer, and this eventually led to her studying biotechnology as her main subject at high school. Later, it made sense for her to study biomedicine at the University of Copenhagen, where she realized she wanted to do a PhD and devote herself even more to the treatment of diseases.
"I'm very concerned with what we can do to heal and give people longer and better lives. It's important to me that my research makes a difference, and therefore, I couldn't have found a better project to be a part of," says Katrine Madsen.
She continues:
"Cystic fibrosis is characterized by chronic bacterial infections in the respiratory tract and sinuses. In other words, it is a very unpleasant and debilitating disease. I hope that in the long term, my research can improve the treatment of the disease and prolong the lives of many people".
When Katrine Madsen works in the laboratory, she is rarely alone. They are, in fact, a whole group of PhD students researching the same project, and it creates a research environment in which she thrives.
"We share a lot of knowledge, and we can also share a joke together, which is important when you're spending many hours together in a lab. Doing a PhD is very time-consuming, but it's well worth it," says Katrine Madsen.
Katrine Madsen's PhD project is part of a collaboration between DTU and Rigshospitalet which aims to provide the hospital with the latest research-based knowledge.
In spring 2024, DTU also entered into another collaboration with the Capital Region and the region's hospitals, namely the Technical University of Greater Copenhagen (TUH).
