August 3, 2004

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

American Lung Association of California Grants $732,000 to 19 Researchers at 10 California Institutions:

Studies Include Air Pollution and Asthma; Lung Cancer

(August 3, 2004, OAKLAND): ( August 3, 2004, OAKLAND) As the American Lung Association celebrates 100 years of fighting lung disease this year, research funded by the organization continues to play a key role in finding new treatments and furthering our understanding of ways to prevent it.

The American Lung Association of California recently funded 19 researchers at 10 California institutions who are hoping to make important discoveries that could someday lead to better treatments and possibly even a cure.

The association awarded $732,000 through its peer-reviewed scientific research program, including two Pulmonary Nurse Scholarships. Every year the American Lung Association of California reviews applications from researchers and nursing students across the state 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 association primarily funds basic research, which forms the building blocks for future discoveries.

Over the last 80 years, the nationwide American Lung Association has granted millions of dollars to scientific studies on lung disease. Since 1985, the association has invested more than $58 million in research, funding more than 2,000 scientists.

American Lung Association-funded researchers have produced major discoveries, including Mary Ellen Avery, MD, who helped uncover the importance of surfactant in the lungs, which led to a dramatic rise in the survival of premature babies. Michael Iannuzzi, MD, helped discover the cystic fibrosis gene, which causes the body to produce abnormally thick mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections.

“Through research, we were able to find drugs to treat tuberculosis (TB),” said Spencer Koerner, MD, former director of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles who has reviewed hundreds of research projects on behalf of the statewide and nationwide American Lung Association. “Now the vast majority of people who get TB can be cured within a few months.”

The American Lung Association of California launched its research program in 1958. In the last decade alone, nearly $5 million has been granted to scientists in California .

The association 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.

As the American Lung Association takes on the challenges of the next century, research will be even more vital. Despite important advances, there still is no cure for lung diseases like asthma, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer.

“If we really want to achieve our goal of a world free from lung disease, it’s going to require some incredible science,” Dr. Koerner said. “Research is the only way we will ever eliminate lung disease and stop the suffering it causes.”

Californians can invest in lung disease research through their California state income tax returns 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:

Xiayuan 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.

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.

Juliana Oh, Ph.D., at the University of California, Los Angeles, is examining a gene that suppresses the growth of lung cancer tumors to better understand the tumor suppression mechanism so that new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques can be developed.

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 novel treatments for people with cystic fibrosis.

Daya Upadhyay, MD, Stanford University, is investigating a specific growth factor that promotes lung development and prevents injury to better understand the molecular basis for acute respiratory distress syndrome and lung scarring.

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:

Temitayo Ajayi, MD, University of California, San Francisco, is investigating a virulent strain of pneumonia in hopes of developing a clinical tool for identifying it in hospitalized respiratory patients.

Merhdad Arjomandi, MD, University of California, San Francisco, is studying airway inflammation in people with asthma who have been exposed to ozone air pollution for multiple days to provide a better understanding of the effects of air pollution on asthma.

Cherilyn Elwell, Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco, is investigating the role of chlamydia pneumoniae, a human pathogen that causes lung disease and has been associated with lung cancer, to provide a basis for novel therapies and vaccines to combat the pathogen.

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.

Husein Hadeiba, Ph.D., Stanford University, is studying the effects of influenza A virus infection on airway hyperreactivity to better understand the mechanisms that protect against asthma to see if viruses can someday help guard against asthma.

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.

Stephen Lee, MD, University of California, San Diego, is studying a select group of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension who underwent pulmonary thromboendarterectomy surgeries from 1990 through 2002 to determine significant predictors of survival and gather information about risk and prognosis.

Philip Thai, MD, at the University of California, Davis, is examining the role of a specific gene in increased mucous secretion common with lung diseases like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) so that more targeted therapies aimed at reducing mucous production can be developed.

Meixia Zhou, Ph.D., Stanford University, is investigating a newly cloned gene that appears to regulate asthma to determine how this mechanism works at a molecular level.

This year’s Clinical Research Grant includes:

Esteban Burchard, MD, University of California, San Francisco, is studying genetic predisposition for asthma by looking at asthma prevalence in different Latino subgroups to identify clinical and genetic risk factors and identify genes that contribute to asthma.

Michael Oldham, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine, is quantifying the effect that growth and development of the upper airways has on the deposition of particulate matter air pollution in the airways and lungs of children and adolescents.

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 Nicole Eden, RN, and Elaine Hannah, 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.call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or visit www.californialung.org.