Grant: Project Grant

Everyday we breathe in over 10000 liters of air just to survive. For some of us, breathing in air presents no problems. For over 3 million Canadians with lung diseases, breathing in air can lead to lung "attacks" that make it difficult to breathe, require hospitalization, and in the most severe cases, death. The air that we breathe in daily can contain substances like air pollution, allergens, cigarette smoke, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Studies have shown that exposure to these substances can lead to lung "attacks" in those with lung diseases, but it remains a mystery as to how this happens. Our research group studies how exposure to inhaled substances can lead to inflammation in the lungs and how this leads to lung "attacks". We are studying how inflammation "leaks" out of different cells in the lung in response to inhaled substances, leading to a spread of inflammation that can grow bigger and bigger if left unchecked. We propose that plugging the "leaks" can prevent inflammation from spreading, preventing lung "attacks", and saving lives. Our experiments are designed to study a specific "leak" that is important in inflammation, determine how this "leak" is different in healthy and diseased patients, investigate how genetic differences contribute to this "leak", and to make safe drugs that can plug the "leak". Collectively our studies will increase our understanding of how inhaled substances can trigger lung "attacks" and also provide a unique new strategy for treating individuals that suffer from lung diseases.