Asthma is an inflammatory airways disease which is often characterized by reversible obstruction. In certain patients, however, this inflammation may lead to irreversible obstruction, secondary to structural changes. These airway changes include mucus cell hyperplasia/hypertrophy, increased thickness of the airway basement membrane by deposition of collagen and other extracellular proteins, increased vascularity, altered neuronal responses and hypertrophy of the airway smooth muscle. Current evidence suggests that these changes may not be prevented with anti-inflammatory treatment such as corticosteroids, but this is controversial. TNF-a is an important cytokine in asthma which has both proinflammatory and profibrotic properties and its role in promoting structural changes in the airway has been noted in animal models of asthma and in humans. Importantly, approaches to block the effects of TNF-a have proven to be quite effective in a number of other chronic inflammatory diseases. Given this background, it is my hypothesis that TNF-a is an important cytokine in asthma in the regulation of mucus-cell hyperplasia. Furthermore, modulation of TNF-a, using an anti-TNF-a antibody may be an appropriate adjunctive therapy in asthma, preventing or attenuating mucus-cell hyperplasia/hypertrophy (metaplasia in the murine system) and avoiding the consequences of long-term corticosteroid use. The overall goal of this proposal is to evaluate the effects of TNF-a on an important aspect of airway pathology in asthma, mucus-cell hyperplasia/hypertrophy. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Clinical Investigator Award (CIA) (K08)
Project #
5K08AI063932-02
Application #
7248709
Study Section
Allergy & Clinical Immunology-1 (AITC)
Program Officer
Prograis, Lawrence J
Project Start
2006-07-01
Project End
2011-05-31
Budget Start
2007-06-01
Budget End
2008-05-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$113,265
Indirect Cost
Name
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
078861598
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10029
Birmingham, J M; Gillespie, V L; Srivastava, K et al. (2014) Influenza A infection enhances antigen-induced airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness in young but not aged mice. Clin Exp Allergy 44:1188-99
Birmingham, Janette M; Patil, Sangita; Li, Xiu-Min et al. (2013) The effect of oral tolerance on the allergic airway response in younger and aged mice. J Asthma 50:122-32
Busse, Paula J; Schofield, Brian; Birmingham, Neil et al. (2010) The traditional Chinese herbal formula ASHMI inhibits allergic lung inflammation in antigen-sensitized and antigen-challenged aged mice. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 104:236-46
Busse, Paula J; Farzan, Sherry; Cunningham-Rundles, Charlotte (2007) Pulmonary complications of common variable immunodeficiency. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 98:1-8;quiz 8-11, 43