Laboratory Based Research
Laboratory studies are aimed at developing a better understanding of biological structures and functions and how they are related to diseases at the cellular and subcellular levels.
Principal Investigator: Lennie Samsell
Dr. Samsell’s laboratory uses the Fischer 344 rat as an in vivo model for basic research, focusing on the effects of various environmental factors, during fetal and early life, on lung development and childhood respiratory problems such as wheezing and asthma. Ongoing projects include assessing the effects of maternal and early life exposure to 1) high fat diet or 2) inhalation of nanoparticles, on fetal, neonatal and weanling lung development and how this affects the response to respiratory virus infection in early life. Investigation is ongoing into the potential transmission of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection from the mother to the fetus during pregnancy and how this affects lung development and responses to re-infection of the newborn. All projects include a focus on lung and circulating neurotrophins, particularly nerve growth factor (NGF) and their roles in respiratory infection, inflammation and airway hyper-reactivity..
Ongoing projects include assessing the effects of maternal and early life exposure to 1) high fat diet or 2) inhalation of nanoparticles, on fetal, neonatal and weanling lung development and how this affects the response to respiratory virus infection in early life. Investigation is ongoing into the potential transmission of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection from the mother to the fetus during pregnancy and how this affects lung development and responses to re-infection of the newborn. All projects include a focus on lung and circulating neurotrophins, particularly nerve growth factor (NGF) and their roles in respiratory infection, inflammation and airway hyper-reactivity.
Environmental Factors in Childhood Lung Disease
Principal Investigator: Dr. Giovanni Piedimonte
Growing rates of childhood asthma, in West Virginia and elsewhere, have alarmed pediatricians and parents and gained the attention of health policymakers. Although doctors know that environmental causes contribute to asthma and other lung diseases, including respiratory infections, the mechanisms of these relationships are not well understood.
Research in the Department of Pediatrics Pulmonary & Allergy group, led by Dr. Giovanni Piedimonte, is focused on discovering links between childhood exposures to pollutants and serious lung diseases. Studies at WVU have demonstrated that perinatal exposures to infections and/or pollutants can have important effects at the level of gene expression that add to the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood.
Furthermore, whereas most previous research has centered on children’s exposures to indoor pollutants such as cigarette smoke and dust, Dr. Piedimonte’s team has made important new discoveries about the risks of pollution in outdoor air.
In one recent study currently in press for Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, WVU researchers in collaboration with European colleagues have demonstrated that allergic asthmatic children respond to a short-term reduction in outdoor air pollution with a rapid improvement in airway inflammation and function. This research may prove helpful to policymakers on both continents who are considering new regulations for airborne pollutants.
In another project, clinical researchers at WVU have joined forces with biomedical engineers at Georgia Tech to develop personal environmental monitors that can be tucked inside a child’s clothing to sample atmospheric exposures 24 hours a day.
Neurotrophins in Preterm Babies
Investigator: Dr. Stephanie Grayson
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), defined as an oxygen requirement at 36 weeks gestation, is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates. Previous studies have shown a multi-factorial etiology including prematurity, need for mechanical ventilation, and oxygen exposure. More recently, an imbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines has been shown to predict the development and disease course of BPD. Neurotrophins like the nerve growth factor (NGF) control the development of afferent and efferent fibers innervating the lower respiratory tract and modulate the synthesis and release of sensory and motor neurotransmitters. Our previous studies have shown significantly increased NGF levels in the lungs of term infants during acute viral infections, but neurotrophins expression in the lungs of premature infants has never been investigated. We hypothesize that NGF levels are elevated in premature infants who develop BPD compared to premature infants who do not develop BPD and term infants. We conclude, from preliminary data, that NGF is markedly over-expressed in the lungs of infants born prematurely and may contribute to the development of airway inflammation and hyperreactivity. Additional studies are ongoing to determine whether this factor could be used as a prognostic marker for disease severity.
Neurotrophins and Cytokins in Sinusitis and Allergy
Investigators: Dr. Yesim Demirdag
Investigators: Dr. Silvia Cardenas