Feature Channels: Respiratory Diseases and Disorders

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UC San Diego engineers have developed microscopic robots, called microrobots, that can swim around in the lungs, deliver medication and be used to clear up life-threatening cases of bacterial pneumonia. In mice, the microrobots safely eliminated pneumonia-causing bacteria in the lungs and resulted in 100% survival. By contrast, untreated mice all died within three days after infection.

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A new service at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is providing comprehensive care for children with a debilitating post-COVID condition. Some teens can’t get back to the sports they love. Other children can no longer get through a school day—or even walk up a flight of stairs. Still others feel “off”—and anxious and depressed, too.

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On World Lung Day, Sept. 25, 2022, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS), of which the American Thoracic Society is a founding member, calls on governments worldwide to address stark global inequalities in respiratory health.

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Pascack Valley Medical Center received recertification of its Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation programs from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. The certification recognizes the hospital for commitment to improving patient outcomes and quality of life by enhancing standards of care.

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The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded Jonathan Backer, M.D., professor and chair of molecular pharmacology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and associate director for shared resources at Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center (MECC), a five-year, $10 million team science (P01) grant to investigate the mechanisms regulating cancer cells that seed tumors in the lungs, a key metastatic site for breast cancer.

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Conditions like asthma or COVID-19 make it harder for bodies to absorb oxygen from the lungs. In a proof-of-principle study, University of Washington and University of California San Diego researchers have shown that smartphones are capable of detecting blood oxygen saturation levels down to 70%. This is the lowest value that pulse oximeters should be able to measure, as recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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The exchange of gases between the air we breathe and our blood takes place via alveoli – tiny air sacs in our lungs. For

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Researchers at Tufts University have devised rules for a faster, more effective way to identify potential new drug cocktails against tuberculosis.

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Teens’ hearts may skip a beat within two hours after air pollution exposure, according to a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

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New study data shows that the immuno-oncology drug, atezolizumab is a safe and effective treatment for stage IB-IIIB non-small cell lung cancer patients prior to lung cancer surgery, according to a new study led by researchers with The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute as part of the national Lung Cancer Mutation Consortium 3 study. Researchers found that the survival of patients in this new study was far better – about 80% at three years post treatment and approximately twice as good as that which would be expected with surgery and chemotherapy alone. Study investigators also report data showing that the presence of high numbers of natural killer (NK) cells – a type of immune cell found in the blood before treatment – were associated with poor immunotherapy treatment effectiveness in this study. Patients with high levels of these cells might benefit from the addition of NK-specific therapy.

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Nine organizations are joining forces to present the second annual ILD Day on Wednesday, Sept. 14, to drive awareness of interstitial lung disease (ILD).

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A potential new treatment combining natural manuka honey with a widely used drug has been developed by scientists at Aston University to treat a potentially lethal lung infection and greatly reduce side effects of one of the current drugs used for its treatment.

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On Tuesday Sept. 7, 2022, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the Affordable Care Act's US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) violates the U.S. Constitution's Delegations Clause and is unconstitutional. Under the Affordable Care Act, preventive services that receive an A or B grade rating from the USPSTF must be offered by health insurance providers – at no cost to patients. This ruling jeopardizes the availability and affordability of a wide range of preventive health services currently enjoyed by millions of Americans.

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The latest research and expert commentary on pain management.

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A Roundup of the Latest Medical Discoveries and Faculty News at Cedars-Sinai

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In Biomicrofluidics, scientists in China created a model alveolar system that mimics the breathing action of the human lung and allows visualization of flow patterns within the alveoli. The chip they designed includes tubes arranged like the structure of a bifurcation point in the bronchial network. The upper layer of the chip is made of a flexible polymer molded into small tubes that mimic the alveolar structure. The lower layer is glass, which allows the authors to visualize fluid flow through the tubes.

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An experimental combination of two drugs halts the progression of small cell lung cancer, the deadliest form of lung cancer, according to a study in mice from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Grenoble Alpes University in Grenoble, France, and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

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Many respiratory infections, such as influenza or COVID-19 add significant stress to cells and organs, which can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which itself can eventually cause death in aged or sensitive individuals.

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The latest research on plants brought to you by Newswise.

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The latest research and expert commentary on the monkeypox outbreak.

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“We are pleased to receive this prestigious recertification from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation,” said Sara Cuccurullo, MD, chair, vice president, and medical director, JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute.

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Many therapeutics for asthma and other obstructive lung diseases target the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR), a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that rapidly supports airway relaxation when stimulated. Yet, overuse of these agents is associated with adverse health outcomes, including death, which has limited their utility as frontline therapies. Now, a mouse model study published in today’s issue of Molecular Cell, from investigators at University Hospitals (UH) and Case Western Reserve University, identifies a novel strategy to isolate the beneficial effects of β2AR stimulation. This suggests a new therapeutic approach to airway diseases as well as numerous other conditions involving the aberrant function of GPCRs.

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Researchers from the Gulf Long-term Follow-up Study (GuLF STUDY) found that workers involved in cleaning up the nation’s largest oil spill were 60% more likely than those who did not work on the cleanup to be diagnosed with asthma or experience asthma symptoms one to three years after the spill.

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A new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) provides important guidance about sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), an often undiagnosed but prevalent health problem, and its association with development of cardiac arrhythmia. Published in Circulation, the comprehensive analysis was authored by a panel led by Cleveland Clinic experts Reena Mehra, MD, MS, and Mina Chung, MD, as chair and vice chair, respectively. The statement provides data showing the potential value of how SDB treatment affects cardiac arrhythmias beneficially and thereby can improve patient outcomes.

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Researchers at McMaster University have found a class of well-known antiviral drugs could be part of a one-two punch to treat seasonal influenza and prevent a flu pandemic when used in combination with antibody therapies.

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A new report on lung transplantation success rates confirms that Cedars-Sinai patients experienced one-year survival outcomes of 91.49%, an achievement above the national average of 89.46%.

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Scientists have clarified the cellular mechanisms of asthma. The results open new perspectives for effective therapy of the disease.

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An increase in the number of non-COVID-19 respiratory infections should be expected this winter, say scientists. The warning comes following the results of a new study, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, which found that over 55% of respiratory disease hospitalisations during the pandemic’s peak were caused by non-SARS-CoV-2 infections. The University Bristol-led study funded and conducted in collaboration with Pfizer Inc., as part of AvonCAP, is the first to compare the number of hospitalisations from respiratory disease infections caused by COVID-19 and non-SARS-CoV-2 infections.

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Research in animal models showed the potential of delivering a TB drug with one injection that lasts at least four months, in lieu of the current standard treatment requiring constant adherence to a daily drug regimen.

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A clinical trial is only as powerful as its participants. For years, researchers have struggled to fill clinical trials and enroll sufficiently diverse groups of patients for results to reflect the broader population, in part because of stringent guidelines on who can participate.

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To address the global burden of tuberculosis (TB), one of humankind’s oldest scourges, an international collaboration led by Johns Hopkins Medicine has today been awarded up to $200 million in research funding over five years by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Supporting, Mobilizing and Accelerating Research for Tuberculosis Elimination (SMART4TB) project.

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Blood clots are thought to occur in as many as a third of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. In many cases these clots can be deadly, such as pulmonary embolisms—blood clots that travel to the lungs. In fact, in nearly one third of patients with COVID-19, these clots led to death.

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California’s McKinney Fire grew to become the state’s largest fire so far this year. The risk of wildfire is rising globally due to climate change. Below are some of the latest articles that have been added to the Wildfires channel on Newswise.

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The American Thoracic Society Research Program today announced the six recipients of the Non-Profit Partner Grants for the 2021-2022 grant cycle. These grants are awarded through partnerships with the American Lung Association, CHEST Foundation, COPD Foundation, and the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research.

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In Indian Ayurvedic medicine, black cardamom has been used in formulations to treat cancer and lung conditions. A team of NUS researchers studied the scientific basis behind this traditional medicinal practice and provided evidence of the cytotoxic effect of black cardamom on lung cancer cells. The findings could potentially lead to the discovery of safe and effective new bioactives which can prevent or cure cancer formation.

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JMIR Publications recently published "Diagnostic Accuracy of an At-Home, Rapid Self-test for Influenza: Prospective Comparative Accuracy Study" in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance which reported that rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for influenza used by individuals at home could potentially expand access to testing and reduce the impact of influenza on health systems. Improving access to testing could lead to earlier diagnosis following symptom onset, allowing more rapid interventions for those who test positive, including behavioral changes to minimize spread.

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Here are some of the latest articles that have been added to the Drug Resistance channel on Newswise, a free source for journalists.