Preview of the ERS Lung Science Conference 2023 and Sleep and Breathing Conference 2023

Support statement: J. Cruz acknowledges the support of the Center for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechCare) of the Polytechnic of Leiria, which is funded by Portuguese national funds provided by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) (UIDB/05704/2020).In this article, we provide a brief description of the @EuroRespSoc 2023 Lung Science Conference and the Sleep and Breathing Conference https://bit.ly/3WsCzj6 Here we provide a preview of the main topics to be addressed in the 2023 Lung Science Conference (LSC) and the Sleep and Breathing Conference, which this year will both have a hybrid format. The LSC is organised by the European Respiratory Society (ERS), while the Sleep and Breathing Conference is organised by ERS and the European Sleep Research Society (ESRS). Both conferences offer early career members (ECMs) the opportunity to network with peers from across the globe, present their work and participate in many activities that will contribute to boost their career in the respiratory field.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The era of CFTR modulators: improvements made and remaining challenges

The entry into the clinic of CFTR modulators such as TRIKAFTA has significantly improved life for ∼90% CF patients carrying one or two F508del mutations but challenges remain for rare CFTR mutations and the management of lung infections @SaraOcana1 https://bit.ly/3aRafQF

Interview with the ECM Award winner 2022 and introducing the new ECM members

Support statement: J. Cruz acknowledges the support of the Center for Innovative Care and Health Technology (ciTechCare) of the Polytechnic of Leiria, which is funded by Portuguese national funds provided by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) (UIDB/05704/2020).This article presents the interview with the ERS Early Career Member Awardee 2022 (@MathioudakisAG) and provides a brief introduction to the new ECM members https://bit.ly/3BSRgV2 The Early Career Member (ECM) Award is intended to honour promising members of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) at an early stage of their professional career, based on their curriculum vitae, involvement in the ERS and potential for future scientific contributions. This award is given during the ERS International Congress, where the ECM Awardee is invited to give the Mina Gaga lecture during the ECM session. In this article, we present an interview conducted with the 2022 ECM Award winner, Alexander Mathioudakis, where he discussed his work and visions for the future and shared some tips for ECMs starting a career in respiratory research. We also provide a brief introduction to the new members of the ECM Committee (ECMC) from Assemblies 2 (Respiratory intensive care), 3 (Basic and translational sciences), 7 (Paediatrics) and 8 (Thoracic surgery and transplantation).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Experience of being chair and co-chair of the ECMC and reasons why you should be the NEXT

In this article, we provide an overview of the experience of being chair and co-chair of the Early Career Member Committee (ECMC) of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) from past and current officers – Niki Ubags (past chair), Maxime Patout (past co-chair), Sara Cuevas Ocaña (current chair) and Thomas Gille (current co-chair) (figure 1). The past chair and co-chair share their main achievements and challenges as leaders of the ECMC, and how the position has impacted (or is impacting) their career. The current chair and co-chair provide their view of the ECMC for the future and the goals to achieve during their mandate.We also outline the ERS Networking EXcellence Training (NEXT) programme and provide testimonials from ERS members who were invited to participate in the first edition of the programme, and selected to present their work in the Science slam session at the ERS Congress 2022. Find out the reasons why you should be NEXT

What to expect from the ERS International Congress 2023

For the second consecutive year, the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress will be held in a hybrid format, in Milan, Italy and online, from 9 September to 13 September 2023. This year, the Congress will return to a 5-day programme covering the latest advances in science and clinical practice across the full range of respiratory topics. Thousands of researchers and health professionals will have the opportunity to share their knowledge and work at the world's largest respiratory meeting. In this article, we provide a glimpse of the ERS Congress 2023 including a summary of the Early Career Member (ECM) session, an overview of the Networking EXcellence Training (NEXT) programme, and the “top picks” from the programme selected by the members of the International Congress Programme Committee (ICPC). The full programme is available at: https://www.ersnet.org/congress-and-events/congress/programme/

A Cell-Based Optimised Approach for Rapid and Efficient Gene Editing of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Introducing or correcting disease-causing mutations through genome editing in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) followed by tissue-specific differentiation provide sustainable models of multiorgan diseases, such as cystic fibrosis (CF). However, low editing efficiency resulting in extended cell culture periods and the use of specialised equipment for fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) make hPSC genome editing still challenging. We aimed to investigate whether a combination of cell cycle synchronisation, single-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotides, transient selection, manual clonal isolation, and rapid screening can improve the generation of correctly modified hPSCs. Here, we introduced the most common CF mutation, ΔF508, into the CFTR gene, using TALENs into hPSCs, and corrected the W1282X mutation using CRISPR-Cas9, in human-induced PSCs. This relatively simple method achieved up to 10% efficiency without the need for FACS, generating heterozygous and homozygous gene edited hPSCs within 3–6 weeks in order to understand genetic determinants of disease and precision medicine

ERS International Congress 2021: highlights from the Interstitial Lung Diseases Assembly

This article provides an overview of scientific highlights in the field of interstitial lung disease (ILD), presented at the virtual European Respiratory Society Congress 2021. A broad range of topics was discussed this year, ranging from translational and genetic aspects to novel innovations with the potential to improve the patient pathway. Early Career Members summarise a selection of interesting findings from different congress sessions, together with the leadership of Assembly 12 - Interstitial Lung Disease. © The authors 2022

ERS International Congress 2021: highlights from the Paediatric Assembly

In this review, Early Career Members of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the Chairs of the ERS Assembly 7: Paediatrics present the highlights in paediatric respiratory medicine from the ERS International Congress 2021. The eight scientific Groups of this Assembly cover respiratory physiology and sleep, asthma and allergy, cystic fibrosis (CF), respiratory infection and immunology, neonatology and intensive care, respiratory epidemiology, bronchology, and lung and airway development. We here describe new developments in lung function testing and sleep-disordered breathing diagnosis, early life exposures affecting pulmonary function in children and effect of COVID-19 on sleep and lung function. In paediatric asthma, we present the important role of the exposome in asthma development, and how biologics can provide better outcomes. We discuss new methods to assess distal airways in children with CF, as some details remain blind when using the lung clearance index. Moreover, we summarise the new ERS guidelines for bronchiectasis management in children and adolescents. We present interventions to reduce morbidity and monitor pulmonary function in newborns at risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and long-term chronic respiratory morbidity of this disease. In respiratory epidemiology, we characterise primary ciliary dyskinesia, identify early life determinants of respiratory health and describe the effect of COVID-19 preventive measures on respiratory symptoms. Also, we describe the epidemiology of interstitial lung diseases, possible consequences of tracheomalacia and a classification of diffuse alveolar haemorrhage in children. Finally, we highlight that the characterisation of genes and pathways involved in the development of a disease is essential to identify new biomarkers and therapeutic targets

Mesenchymal stromal cells express GARP/LRRC32 on their surface: Effects on their biology and immunomodulatory capacity

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) represent a promising tool for therapy in regenerative medicine, transplantation, and autoimmune disease due to their trophic and immunomodulatory activities. However, we are still far from understanding the mechanisms of action of MSCs in these processes. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 is a pleiotropic cytokine involved in MSC migration, differentiation, and immunomodulation. Recently, glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (GARP) was shown to bind latency-associated peptide (LAP)/TGF-β1 to the cell surface of activated Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) and megakaryocytes/platelets. In this manuscript, we show that human and mouse MSCs express GARP which presents LAP/TGF-β1 on their cell surface. Silencing GARP expression in MSCs increased their secretion and activation of TGF-β1 and reduced their proliferative capacity in a TGF-β1-independent manner. Importantly, we showed that GARP expression on MSCs contributed to their ability to inhibit T-cell responses in vitro. In summary, we have found that GARP is an essential molecule for MSC biology, regulating their immunomodulatory and proliferative activities. We envision GARP as a new target for improving the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs and also as a novel MSC marker. Stem Cells 2015;33:183-19