# lncRNA Control of Airway Epithelial Cell Responses to Type 2 Inflammation

> **NIH NIH R01** · JACKSON LABORATORY · 2020 · $615,925

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The goal of the proposal is to determine the mechanism by which the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) WFDC21P
controls response of the airway epithelium to IL13. In allergic asthma, type 2 cytokines, such as IL13, signal
through STAT (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription) proteins to drive pathophysiologic changes in
the airway epithelium, including increased mucus production, goblet cell metaplasia, and loss of ciliated cells.
Yet how these signals are coordinated is poorly understood. We have identified a lncRNA that coordinates the
response of the airway epithelium to IL13 and hypothesize that it provides a mechanistic link between IL13
signaling and asthmatic lung pathology. In an air liquid-interface organoid culture system of primary human
bronchial epithelial cells (BECs)—that recapitulates much of the in vivo physiology of the airway epithelium—
WFDC21P is the most significantly induced lncRNA following IL13 exposure. WFDC21P deficient BECs show
increased STAT signaling following IL13 exposure, implicating this lncRNA in controlling the pathophysiology of
pulmonary type 2 immune responses. Importantly, WFDC21P is overexpressed in nasal brushing of patients
with asthma. We hypothesize that WFDC21P regulates the response of airway epithelial cells to IL13 by
promoting STAT dephosphorylation. Understanding how WFDC21P controls responses of the airway
epithelium to type 2 inflammation could potentially identify new tissue-specific targets for therapeutic intervention.
In Aim 1 we will use single-cell RNA-Seq analysis of organoid cultures to determine which cell types upregulate
WFDC21P following IL13 exposure. Next, using ATAC-Seq, ChIP-Seq and knockdown approaches, we will
identify which transcription factors control WFDC21P expression. In Aim 2 we will determine which cell types
require WFDC21P to drive IL13-mediated asthma pathology. Using both knockdown and overexpression of
WFDC21P we will measure changes in the differentiation, cellular composition, mucociliary status, and
chemokine production of BEC organoid cultures grown in the presence or absence of IL13. Cultures will be
evaluated by imaging mass cytometry, ATAC-Seq and single-cell RNA-Seq. In Aim 3 we will identify the
mechanism used by WFDC21P to regulate epithelial STAT signaling. We will test which STATs are impacted by
loss of WFDC21P, and by using ChIP-Seq we will elucidate whether loss of WFDC21P impacts binding of STAT6
and STAT3 to target genes. Using RNA-immunoprecipitation (RIP) and an unbiased mass spectrometry based
approach we will determine whether WFDC21P binds directly to STAT proteins and/or identify additional proteins
bound to this lncRNA. Impact: This work will reveal fundamental molecular mechanisms driving pathological
changes seen in allergic asthma, and will provide unprecedented resolution into cell type specific transcriptional
changes following IL13 exposure. The experiments outlined here will establish a new role for lncRNAs as ce...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9843644
- **Project number:** 5R01AI141609-02
- **Recipient organization:** JACKSON LABORATORY
- **Principal Investigator:** ADAM WILLIAMS
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $615,925
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-01-01 → 2022-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9843644

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9843644, lncRNA Control of Airway Epithelial Cell Responses to Type 2 Inflammation (5R01AI141609-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9843644. Licensed CC0.

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