Grant: Operating Grant

The body contains cells know as peripheral chemoreceptors that help maintain important blood chemicals at particular levels via control of our breathing. In particular, these cells sense blood oxygen, carbon dioxide, acidity, and glucose, and send corrective signals to the brain via reflexes, and these in turn control the rate and depth of breathing. Abnormalities in this pathway have important consequences on the health care system and are associated with such common conditions as sleep apnea (where breathing in intermittent) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Our investigations are aimed at understanding how these cells work, how they communicate with the nervous system, and how their properties are altered by disease conditions or environmental factors (e.g. nicotine in cigarette smoke). To simplify the analysis, our approach is to isolate these receptor cells and grow them in tissue culture, either alone or in combination with the nerve cells that normally contact them. Then we can apply a variety of techniques (e.g electrophysiology, imaging, molecular biology) to help us understand how they communicate with each other, and how they respond to the blood chemicals listed above.