SCOR: RESPIRATORY DISORDERS OF NEONATES AND CHILDREN

This proposal is for continuation of original research addressing
the impact of acute infectious events during childhood on
subsequent pulmonary health and those measures which could be
applied to reduce long-term sequelae and resultant disability.
This general goal is approached through a series of integrated,
multidisciplinary projects which represent extensions of productive
prior work as well as new proposals suggested by earlier findings
and progress in the field. Broadly stated, the issues to be
considered include: 1) assessment of the relative importance of
selected factors which confound the outcome of natural intercurrent
infections of the lungs; 2) analysis of patterns of injury and
repair in specialized respiratory tract structures during the
course of growth and development to identify steps in disease
pathogenesis where intervention would be feasible; and 3) the
exploration of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in
animals and natural human diseases to initiate practical
applications of research progress. Studies on acute bronchiolitis
(viral, bacterial, mycoplasmal) will continue as a central theme.
Special attention will be given to the airways epithelium because
of its principle involvement in many infectious processes and its
importance in the muco-ciliary defense mechanism of the lungs. The
work would be accomplished through clinical and epidemiological
studies of children (normal and atopic individuals, subjects with
cystic fibrosis), experiments with several animal models of the
most common childhood respiratory infections, and use of in vitro
models of differentiated respiratory cells and tissues. Together
these approaches are designed to provide improved methods of
diagnosis, treatment and prevention for the most common form of
pulmonary disease in children.