Research profile: Dr Adriano Rossi

Dr Adriano Rossi is a Senior Lecturer in the Respiratory Medicine Unit, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh Medical School. Dr Adriano Rossi is a Senior Lecturer in the Respiratory Medicine Unit, Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh Medical School.

Asthma UK is supporting his current research into the inflammatory cell processes involved in lung disease.


Why is asthma so interesting as a research issue?

The recent dramatic increase in the number of people, especially children, diagnosed with asthma is very worrying indeed. Despite recent advances in the management of patients with asthma, relatively little is known about the precise causes and reasons for the increase in this inflammatory condition. I strongly believe it is of fundamental importance to investigate the mechanisms underlying the cellular processes involved in asthma. For this, it is imperative that we invest time and effort into understanding this condition in order to design better drugs.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

The challenge of understanding a complex condition such as asthma is, in itself, rewarding. I feel fortunate that the research I am involved in may have direct consequences for the treatment of asthma.

I enjoy designing and performing experiments that address important questions regarding basic cellular processes involved in regulating the symptoms associated with asthma. The type of work I do also involves interacting with scientists and clinicians that are dedicated to improving the treatment of asthma. We all wish to better understand asthma and I am confident that significant advances and improvements will occur for the benefit of people with asthma.

How does Asthma UK help your research?

Asthma UK has provided vital financial support and encouragement in order for our group to carry out important research into understanding basic cellular mechanisms involved in the progression and pathogenesis of asthma.

Asthma UK is funding our work into understanding how key white blood cells (eg, eosinophils and macrophages) function and contributes to the inflammatory response observed in the lungs of asthmatics. In addition, we are obtaining support from Asthma UK to investigate how the local environment that occurs during an asthmatic attack can affect how these cells live and die.

What do you hope to achieve as a result of your research?

Our studies will define how key inflammatory cells function and determine what role they have in asthma. Our ultimate goal is to shed light on basic mechanisms involved in asthma in order to help the development of new drugs and therapeutic strategies for the treatment of this serious condition.


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