2005 ATS Research Grant Recipients
2005 ATS Research Grant Recipients
Partnership Grants:
ATS/Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research Partnership Research Grant in Sarcoidosis
- Co-funded by the ATS and the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research
Daniel Culver, DO
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Research: “Matrix Metalloproteinases Contribute to Disease Progression in Pulmonary Sarcoidosis and Are Inhibited by PPARγ”
Dr. Culver’s research is focused on creating a better understanding of sarcoidosis, a multi-system, autoimmune disease involving the lungs, but also affecting the skin, liver, spleen, bones, brain and other soft tissue organs. Sarcoidosis is generally a chronic disease, for which there is no known cause or cure. Dr. Culver’s research involves investigating the role that a group of enzymes, the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), may play in this disease, and also in describing the immune pathways that influence the abnormally high MMP levels seen in patients with sarcoidosis. This research may eventually lead to more accurate predictions of the clinical course of sarcoidosis and the development of more targeted therapies.
ATS/LUNGevity Foundation Partnership Research Grants in Lung Cancer
- Co-funded by the ATS and the LUNGevity Foundation
Charles A. Powell, MD
Columbia University
Research: “Molecular Signatures of Invasiveness in Lung Adenocarcinoma”
Dr. Powell’s research focuses on understanding lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer death in the US and the world. He is working to understand the molecular events involved in progression of adenocarcinoma, which represents 40 percent of all lung cancers. Dr. Powell’s long-term goal is to discover biomarkers that are associated with invasiveness of adenocarcinoma. These new biomarkers will facilitate early diagnosis, refine the assessment of prognosis and assist in the development of new therapeutic targets for lung cancer.
George M. Verghese, MD
University of Virginia
Research: “Regulation of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Invasion by Membrane Serine Proteinases and Antiproteinases”
Dr. Verghese’s research focuses on non-small cell lung cancer. The major goals of his research are to identify new biological markers for non-small cell lung cancer that will correlate with tumor type, stage and behavior and to define a new cell-surface protease pathway that regulates the spread of lung cancer cells. The findings from this research may lead to the development of tests to screen for early lung cancer and to new targets for drug development that could slow the progression of many forms of lung cancer.
ATS/GlaxoSmithKline Partnership Research Grants in COPD
- Made possible by a generous grant from GlaxoSmithKline
Chun Geun Lee, MD, PhD
Yale University
Research: “Genetic Factors Controlling TGF-ß1 in the Pathogenesis of COPD”
Transforming Growth Factor-ß1 is a multifunctional molecule that plays a critical role in tissue injury, inflammation and repair and is overexpressed in tissues of patients with COPD. To define the role of TGF-ß1 in COPD, Dr. Lee and his colleagues generated mice in which TGF-ß1 was selectively overexpressed in the lung. They will use these mice to investigate the role of TGF-ß1 in pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema. Results from this research could provide important new information about the role of TGF-ß1 and the genetic determinants of susceptibility to emphysema.
Janet Lee, MD
University of Pittsburgh
Research: “Fractalkine/CX3CL1: A Novel Pathway Related to the Pathogenesis of COPD”
Dr. Lee is studying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a chronic lung disease characterized by chronic inflammation in the airways. Although cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor for COPD, the majority of smokers do not develop COPD. Several human studies implicate a role for immune cells called T lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of cigarette-induced COPD. Dr. Lee will investigate the role of a new protein, fractalkine, in the development of cigarette-induced COPD and its role in the recruitment of T lymphocytes into the lungs. Defining the biological significance of fractalkine in the lungs will provide novel information about the mechanisms underlying the development of COPD and identify potential therapeutic targets for this important disorder.
