Research

Overview

Faculty and fellows of the Division of Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine are engaged in a wide range of clinical, translational and basic investigation related to pediatric pulmonary diseases.

 

Research Faculty

Current Clinical Research

• Leukotriene receptor blockade for the treatment of airway hyperresponsiveness in bronchiolitis
• Inhaled tobracmycin in a dry powder formulation for cystic fibrosis
• Newer formulations of pancreatic enzyme therapy for cystic fibrosis

Past Clinical Research

Participation in national clinical trials sponsored by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation have led to the establishment of the following therapies:

• Human recombinant DNase by inhalation
• Amiloride
• Inhaled tobramycin

Basic Research

The airways biology laboratory of the division does research focused on the genetic regulation of mucin/epithelial cell function and remodeling and the contractile function of airway smooth muscle as modified by development and immune or oxidant injury.  The work is important to understanding key features of cystic fibrosis, asthma and other chronic inflammatory airways diseases and is nationally recognized for its importance.  The work is supported by five R01 research grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

• Regulation of mucin gene expression by neutrophil elastase
• Role of ErbB2 signal transduction in epithelial and mucin cell function
• NQ01 oxidant signal transduction in the regulation of airway epithelial proliferation
• Regulation of airway smooth muscle shortening by age and by early sensitization--critical roles for myosin light chain kinase and cytoskeleton
• Mechanisms for the lack of plastic adaptation in newborn airway smooth muscle
• Mechanisms of impairment of airway smooth muscle relaxation in early development and following immune sensitization
• Role of component proteins of airway smooth muscle NADPH oxidase in airway smooth muscle proliferation and contractility

Fellow Research

Current and recent fellows have worked on the following projects:

• Antibiotic regulation of airway smooth muscle responsiveness
• Lung injury mediated by reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species
• Pulmonary outcomes of sickle cell disease therapy
• Pulmonary function standards in African-American children
• Maturation of pulmonary anti-oxidant defenses
• Genetic regulation of genotype/phenotype expression in cystic fibrosis
• Role of platelet-activating factor in human asthmatic airway remodeling
• Contractile function of CHASM, a novel smooth muscle contractile protein
• Role of chloride channels in airway smooth muscle relaxation