Contacts:
Andrew Weisser, (818) 703-6444
aweisser@earthlink.net
or your local American Lung Association
at (800) LUNG-USA. www.californialung.org

American Lung Association of California
Fights Lung Disease with Research
Organization Funds 21 Researchers Hoping to Find
Better Treatments and Possibly a Cure

(August 27, 2003, OAKLAND) Today there is no cure for lung disease, but there is hope. The American Lung Association of California recently funded 21 researchers in California who are hoping to make important discoveries that could someday lead to better treatments and possibly even a cure.

More than $725,000 was awarded through the American Lung Association of California's peer-reviewed scientific research program, including two Pulmonary Nurse Scholarships. Every year the association reviews applications from researchers and nursing students across California and grants up to $50,000 to research projects that meet its guidelines and up to $6,000 to master's level nursing students who are pursuing careers in pulmonary care. The American Lung Association primarily funds basic research, which forms the building blocks for future discoveries.

"Basic research allows us to better understand the underlying mechanisms that control our respiratory system," said Roslyn Bienenstock, RRT, MPH, former chief respiratory therapist at the Children's Hospital at Stanford and chair of the American Lung Association of California's Research Administrative Committee. "Discoveries made today could someday lead to a cure for lung diseases such as asthma and lung cancer."

The American Lung Association of California currently awards research grants in three categories representing various stages in an investigator's career. Research Training Fellowships are for researchers in training, while Research Grants and Clinical Research Grants are for new investigators who are not yet established.

"Funding basic research is an important investment," Bienenstock said. "Understanding the mechanisms of disease takes hundreds of hours in the laboratory, but it is absolutely necessary if we want to help people with lung disease lead more quality lives through better treatments and ultimately reach our goal of a world free of lung disease."

Californians can invest in lung disease research through their 2003 California state income tax forms by contributing to the Asthma and Lung Disease Research Fund. Every contribution goes directly to the American Lung Association of California's research program and will allow the association to increase the number of research projects it funds every year.

This year's Research Grants include:

Omid Akbari, Ph.D., at Stanford University, is exploring the role of T cells in regulating the immune response so that someday the development of asthma can possibly be prevented.

Xiaoyuan Chen, Ph.D., at the University of Southern California, is investigating the role of molecular imaging (PET scans) in assessing early lung cancer lesions and pinpointing the radiation dosage to improve the effectiveness of radiation treatments in lung cancer patients.

Meriam Dohadwala, Ph.D., at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, is considering how the elevated expression of a specific gene in the lungs may affect the development of non-small cell lung cancer so that more specific treatments can be found.

Changgong Li, Ph.D., at the University of Southern California, is examining the role of a signaling molecule in lung development so that new strategies for combating bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature babies can be found.

Kathleen Mortimer, Sc.D., MPH, at the University of California, Berkeley, is studying how specific air pollutants and other environmental factors affect both acute asthma episodes and the long-term progression of asthma to better understand how to protect people with asthma.

Stephen Phagoo, Ph.D., at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, is trying to determine whether specific cells that promote inflammation can be controlled by a certain class of antibiotics in order to find new treatments for people with cystic fibrosis.

Renli Qiao, MD, Ph.D., at the University of Southern California, is exploring the role of a specific gene in clearing fluid from the lungs so that gene therapies can someday be used to treat pulmonary edema.

Julia Sangha, Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco, is studying how a specific factor that is released from nerves in the lungs and from certain immune cells controls immune reactions so new asthma medications can be developed that target these factors.

Teiji Sawa, MD, Ph.D., at the University of California, San Francisco, is examining how septic shock associated with a specific type of bacterial pneumonia occurs at the molecular and cellular levels so that a vaccine can be developed to prevent the deadly infection.

Ercheng Zhu, MD, Ph.D., at Southern California Institute of Research and Education, is studying the effects of mechanical ventilation that allows the diaphragm muscle to remain partially active to determine whether this method of assisted breathing can reduce the loss of diaphragm function and muscle atrophy that often occurs.

This year's Research Training Fellowships include:

Seema Aceves, MD, Ph.D., at the University of California, San Diego, is exploring the role blood vessel growth plays in damaging the lungs of people with asthma so that more effective asthma treatments can be discovered.

Yin Chen, Ph.D., at the University of California, Davis, is looking at the underlying mechanisms involved in the excessive secretion of mucus that is characteristic of many chronic lung diseases so new treatments that reduce or even eliminate excess mucus can be found.

Ana Corbacho, Ph.D., at the University of California, Davis, is determining how a specific hormone affects nitric oxide in the lungs, which is believed to have a significant role in inflammatory and immune processes, to further the development of potential new treatments for lung diseases associated with inflammation.

Wei Ding, MD, Ph.D, at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Research Institute, is investigating the molecular mechanisms that govern how the respiratory system is formed to provide a basis for developing strategies to prevent congenital malformation of the lungs.

Samuel Evans, MD, at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center, is studying how cigarette smoke triggers coughing in children to better understand how secondhand smoke affects asthma and other respiratory diseases.

Xiaohui Fang, MD, at the University of California, San Francisco, is exploring the basic mechanisms that regulate the removal of salt and water from the lungs to better understand the accumulation of fluid in the lungs, known as pulmonary edema, and find clues to new treatments.

Isabella Imhof, Ph.D., at the University of California, San Francisco, is examining a specific substance that plays a key role in lung inflammation and the malignant transformation of cells in the lung lining to find better treatments for inflammatory lung diseases and lung cancer.

Judd Landsberg, MD, at the University of California, San Diego, Medical Center, is investigating the effects of nitric oxide on gene expression and pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell growth to further the development of new treatments for severe pulmonary hypertension.

Mehran Mandegar, MD, at the University of California, San Diego, is studying the molecular basis that leads to the development of primary pulmonary hypertension so that more specific and effective approaches to controlling and preventing it can be found.

Darya Soto, MD, at the University of California, San Francisco, is trying to understand the signaling between mast cells and vascular cells in lung cancer so that novel strategies for anti-tumor therapy can be discovered.

This year's Clinical Research Grant includes:

Michele Zeidler, MD, at the University of California, Los Angeles, is measuring changes in inflammation in the small airways after treatment with a new, extra-fine formulation of inhaled corticosteroids to determine its potential to reduce inflammation in the small airways and ultimately improve asthma control.

Pulmonary Nurse Scholarships were awarded to Jason Aucoin, RN, and Eileen Riendeau, RN, both at the University of California, San Francisco.

For 100 years, the American Lung Association has been the lead organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other leading causes of death have declined. The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is "Improving life, one breath at a time." For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1.800.LUNG.USA (1.800.586.4872) or visit www.californialung.org or www.lungusa.org.

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