Chris Miller, PhD

Miller 
 Assistant Professor
Division of Respiratory Medicine, UBC-VCH

phone: (604) 875-4111 x 66461
fax: (604) 875-4013
email: miller42(at)mail.ubc.ca





Nitric Oxide Research Lab

Immune cells in the body produce Nitric Oxide (NO) in response to bacteria and viruses. My research group studies the antimicrobial properties of NO and has found that this naturally produced molecule can be used as an effective non-specific antimicrobial agent against a broad range of microorganisms, including gram positive, gram negative and multi-drug resistant strains of bacteria, yeast, viruses, and mycobacteria.

I am focused on establishing a Nitric Oxide Research Program at the University of British Columbia’s Department of Medicine, with the goal of developing NO as a potential treatment for infections such as tuberculosis, malaria, leishmaniasis, cystic fibrosis, and as a first line treatment for viral pandemics. The cornerstone of this effort has been generously provided through a highly sought after, but rarely obtained, United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Grant for my project entitled, “Nitric Oxide for Prevention and Treatment of Pandemic Flu.”


Scholarly Interests

  • Antimicrobial role of nitric oxide
  • Antibiotic resistance associated with M. tuberculosis, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa
  • Role of nitric oxide in non-healing wounds and cystic fibrosis
  • Therapeutic use of nitric oxide in Avian flu and parasitic infections
  • Inhaled nitric oxide for treatment of cerebral malaria (http://www.youtube.com/user/iNOUganda)
  • Tumorcidal activity of nitric oxide
  • Chronic sinusitis
  • Ventilator acquired pneumonia

Recent Publications

Rezakhanloua, A, Miller C, McMullin B, Ghaffaria A, Ghaharya A. Gaseous Nitric Oxide Exhibits Does Not Effect Skin Fibroblast Extra Cellular Matrix Gene Expression and Immune Cell Viability. Cell Biol Int 2011;35:407-415.

Regev-Shoshani G , Ko M, Miller C, Av-Gay Y. The slow release of Nitric Oxide from charged catheter and its antimicrobial effect on Escherichia coli Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy 2010;54(1):273-279.

Miller C, McMullin B, Ghaffari A, Miller J, Stenzler A, Pick N, Roscoe D, Ghahary A, Road J, Av Gay Y. Gaseous nitric oxide bactericidal activity retained during intermittent high-dose short duration exposure Nitric Oxide 2009;20 :16-23.

Miller C, Rawat M, Johnson T, Av-Gay Y. Innate protection of mycobacteria against the antimicrobial activity of nitric oxide is provided by mycothiol. Antimicrobial Agents And Chemotherapy 2007;51(9):3364-3366.

Ghaffari A, Jalili RB, Li Y, Ghaffari M, Miller CC, Ghahary A. Antimicrobial Safety and Efficacy of Gaseous Nitric Oxide on Bacterial and Human Skin Cells. Wound Rep Reg, 2007;15(3):368i.

Ghaffari A, Miller CC, McMullin B, Ghahary A. Potential Application of Gaseous Nitric Oxide as a topical antimicrobial agent. Nitric Oxide. Nitric Oxide 2006;14:21-29.

McMullin B, Chittock D, Roscoe D, Garche H, Want L, Miller CC. The antimicrobial effect of nitric oxide on the bacteria that cause nosocomial pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU. Resp Care 2005;50(11):1451-1456.

Ghaffari A, Neil DH, Ardakani A, Road J , Ghahary A , Miller CC. A direct nitric oxide gas delivery system for bacterial and mammalian cell cultures. Nitric Oxide 12(3):129-140, 2005.

Miller CC, Miller MK, Ghaffari A, Kunimoto B. The treatment of chronic non-healing leg ulceration with gaseous nitric oxide – a case study. J Cutan Med Surg. 2004 Jul-Aug;8(4):233-8.

Miller CC. Nitric oxide: The future is bright. (Guest editorial). RT, The Journal for Respiratory Care Practitioners 2003, October:10-12.