The Parekh lab has developed an orthotopic left lower lung transplantation model in outbred ferrets. Ferrets and humans have similar airway cell biology and submucosal gland distribution. Moreover, the ferret transplant model develops the full spectrum of pathology that is seen in human allografts. The Parekh lab uses ferret lung denervation and orthotopic, left-lung transplantation to elucidate how alterations in allograft stem cell compartments lead to pathology.

Read our article here. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2012.04337.x

Completion of the ferret genome has enabled the rapid identification of molecular tools and genetic engineering in the ferret. Current work in the Parekh lab is capitalizing on the generation of fluorescent reporter ferrets (developed by the Engelhardt laboratory). These transgenic ferrets provide a foundation for future scientific growth to study mechanisms of allograft dysfunction.