Kanellakis Group | Translational Pleural Research

The pleura is a thin double layer of mesothelial tissue that lines the inside of the chest cavity and covers the lungs. The area in-between these two mesothelial membranes is called the pleural cavity, which is normally filled with a small amount of fluid that allows the lungs to move smoothly within the chest cavity during breathing.

Pleural effusion is a condition in which excess fluid accumulates in the pleural cavity. This fluid buildup can be caused by a variety of conditions, including: cancer (malignant pleural effusion, MPE), infection, heart failure, kidney and liver disease and other conditions.

In our lab we focus on understanding the underlying biology of pleural disease with the aim to phenotype patients and stratify them to different groups.