Pulmonary Biology

Lung Diseases

Lung diseases can be congenital or acquired after birth. Many lung diseases are life-threatening, or lead to chronic morbidity (debility). Millions of people in the United States and world-wide are affected by lung disease of one kind or another. Life-saving surfactant therapy for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), which occurs in infants born prematurely, was developed at Cincinnati Children’s by Dr. Whitsett. This therapy alone has resulted in a major reduction in perinatal deaths in the United States and countries world-wide. In a similar manner, groups in our division are actively seeking new treatments and therapies for many other lung diseases that affect children and adults. Using a wealth of cutting-edge approaches (many of which have been developed in our division) our groups work on the pathogenesis (causes) of lung diseases with the goal of identifying new therapeutic targets.

Some of the lung diseases being studied in the Division of Pulmonary Biology include:

Show All

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in Adults

Machiko Ikegami, MD, PhD: Molecular mechanisms of surfactant homeostasis in the injured lung

Thomas Korfhagen, MD, PhD: Surfactant proteins, lung infection, inflammation, and injury/repair

John Shannon, PhD: Lung morphogenesis and differentiation, and FGFs

Timothy Weaver, PhD: Cytoprotective pathways, epithelium adaptation to stress, surfactant

Jeffrey Whitsett, MD: Lung transcriptional control, epithelial patterning and differentiation

Asthma

Histology shows inflammatory cells around an artery and airway in a mouse model of allergic asthma. (Picture courtesy of the Le Cras laboratory.)

Machiko Ikegami, MD, PhD: C/EBPα, airway resistance

Vladimir Kalinichenko, MD, PhD: Fox proteins in lung development and carcinogenesis

Timothy Le Cras, PhD: Lung development, pathogenesis of lung remodeling

Susan Wert, PhD: Histopathology of abnormal lung development, injury / repair and human surfactant dysfunctions / mutations.

Jeffrey Whitsett, MD: Lung transcriptional control, epithelial patterning and differentiation

Yan Xu, PhD: Bioinformatics, systems biology of lung development and disease

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD)

Lung histology shows thickening of alveolar septae, enlarged distal airspaces and inflammation in infant with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

Machiko Ikegami, MD, PhD: SP-D containing surfactant for treatment

Alan Jobe, MD, PhD: See Division of Perinatal Biology.

Suhas Kallapur, MD: See Division of Perinatal Biology.

Thomas Korfhagen, MD, PhD: Surfactant proteins, lung infection, inflammation, and injury/repair

Ward Rice, MD, PhD: Molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating surfactant processing

John Shannon, PhD: Lung morphogenesis and differentiation, and FGFs

Timothy Weaver, PhD: Cytoprotective pathways, epithelium adaptation to stress, surfactant

Jeffrey Whitsett, MD: Lung transcriptional control, epithelial patterning and differentiation

Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH)

John Shannon, PhD: Lung morphogenesis and differentiation, and FGFs

Jeffrey Whitsett, MD: Lung transcriptional control, epithelial patterning and differentiation

Craniofacial Development and Abnormalities

Kristin Melton, MD: See Division of Neonatology.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF)

Paul Kingma, MD, PhD: SP-D in neonatal sepsis, RDS and innate immune system in neonatal infection

Susan Wert, PhD: Histopathology of abnormal lung development, injury / repair and human surfactant dysfunctions / mutations.

Jeffrey Whitsett, MD: Lung transcriptional control, epithelial patterning and differentiation

Yan Xu, PhD: Bioinformatics, systems biology of lung development and disease

Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD)

Stephan Glasser, PhD : SP-C in innate defense, interstitial lung disease and injury

Machiko Ikegami, MD, PhD: Lung mechanics and surfactant function

Thomas Korfhagen, MD, PhD: Surfactant proteins, lung infection, inflammation, and injury/repair

John Shannon, PhD: Lung morphogenesis and differentiation, and FGFs

Timothy Weaver, PhD: Cytoprotective pathways, epithelium adaptation to stress, surfactant

Jeffrey Whitsett, MD: Lung transcriptional control, epithelial patterning and differentiation

Yan Xu, PhD: Bioinformatics, systems biology of lung development and disease

Lung Cancer

Histology shows multiple tumors in a genetic mouse model of lung cancer. (Picture courtesy of the Wikenhesier-Brokamp laboratory.)

Machiko Ikegami, MD, PhD: C/EBPα in lung cancer

Tanya Kalin, MD, PhD: Regulation of DNA replication and mitosis in lung and prostate tumor cells

Vladimir Kalinichenko, MD, PhD: Fox proteins in lung development and carcinogenesis

Jeffrey Whitsett, MD: Lung transcriptional control, epithelial patterning and differentiation

Kathryn Wikenheiser-Brokamp, MD, PhD: Epithelial cell growth regulation, pathways in lung cancer

Yan Xu, PhD: Bioinformatics, systems biology of lung development and disease

Lung Infection, Injury and Remodeling

Stephan Glasser, PhD : SP-C in innate defense, interstitial lung disease and injury

Machiko Ikegami, MD, PhD: SP-D, Stat-3, C/EBPα in lung injury/repair

Vladimir Kalinichenko, MD, PhD: Fox proteins in lung development and carcinogenesis

Thomas Korfhagen, MD, PhD: Surfactant proteins, lung infection, inflammation, and injury/repair

Timothy Le Cras, PhD: Lung development, pathogenesis of lung remodeling

John Shannon, PhD: Lung morphogenesis and differentiation, and FGFs

Timothy Weaver, PhD: Cytoprotective pathways, epithelium adaptation to stress, surfactant

Susan Wert, PhD: Histopathology of abnormal lung development, injury / repair and human surfactant dysfunctions / mutations.

Jeffrey Whitsett, MD: Lung transcriptional control, epithelial patterning and differentiation

Kathryn Wikenheiser-Brokamp, MD, PhD: Epithelial cell growth regulation, pathways in lung cancer

Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis (PAP)

Machiko Ikegami, MD, PhD: Surfactant catabolism

Bruce Trapnell, MD: Regulation innate immunity, inflammation, GM-CSF in lung disease

Susan Wert, PhD: Histopathology of abnormal lung development, injury / repair and human surfactant dysfunctions / mutations.

Jeffrey Whitsett, MD: Lung transcriptional control, epithelial patterning and differentiation

Pulmonary Fibrosis

Stephan Glasser, PhD : SP-C in innate defense, interstitial lung disease and injury

William Hardie, MD: See Division of Pulmonary Medicine.

Machiko Ikegami, MD, PhD: Altered lung mechanics and surfactant metabolism

Thomas Korfhagen, MD, PhD: Surfactant proteins, lung infection, inflammation, and injury/repair

John Shannon, PhD: Lung morphogenesis and differentiation, and FGFs

Timothy Weaver, PhD: Cytoprotective pathways, epithelium adaptation to stress, surfactant

Jeffrey Whitsett, MD: Lung transcriptional control, epithelial patterning and differentiation

Pulmonary Surfactant Disorders

Stephan Glasser, PhD : SP-C in innate defense, interstitial lung disease and injury

Machiko Ikegami, MD, PhD: Molecular mechanisms of surfactant homeostasis

Paul Kingma, MD, PhD: SP-D in neonatal sepsis, RDS and innate immune system in neonatal infection

Thomas Korfhagen, MD, PhD: Surfactant proteins, lung infection, inflammation, and injury / repair

Ward Rice, MD, PhD: Molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating surfactant processing

John Shannon, PhD: Lung morphogenesis and differentiation, and FGFs

Timothy Weaver, PhD: Cytoprotective pathways, epithelium adaptation to stress, surfactant

Susan Wert, PhD: Histopathology of abnormal lung development, injury / repair and human surfactant dysfunctions / mutations.

Jeffrey Whitsett, MD: Lung transcriptional control, epithelial patterning and differentiation

Pulmonary Vascular Diseases

Lung histology shows thickening and remodeling of small pulmonary artery in a patient with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Thomas Korfhagen, MD, PhD: Surfactant proteins, lung infection, inflammation, and injury/repair

Timothy Le Cras, PhD: Lung development, pathogenesis of lung remodeling

Jeffrey Whitsett, MD: Lung transcriptional control, epithelial patterning and differentiation

Rare Lung Diseases

Paul Kingma, MD, PhD: SP-D in neonatal sepsis, RDS and innate immune system in neonatal infection

Frank McCormack, MD: See Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the University of Cincinnati.

Bruce Trapnell, MD: Regulation innate immunity, inflammation, GM-CSF in lung disease

Timothy Weaver, PhD: Cytoprotective pathways, epithelium adaptation to stress, surfactant

Susan Wert, PhD: Histopathology of abnormal lung development, injury / repair and human surfactant dysfunctions / mutations.

Jeffrey Whitsett, MD: Lung transcriptional control, epithelial patterning and differentiation

Yan Xu, PhD: Bioinformatics, systems biology of lung development and disease

Lisa Young, MD: See Division of Pulmonary Medicine.

Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS)

Stephan Glasser, PhD: SP-C in innate defense, interstitial lung disease and injury

Machiko Ikegami, MD, PhD: New treatment for RDS, ventilatory lung injury

Alan Jobe, MD, PhD: See Division of Perinatal Biology.

Vladimir Kalinichenko, MD, PhD: Fox proteins in lung development and carcinogenesis

Suhas Kallapur, MD: See Division of Perinatal Biology.

Thomas Korfhagen, MD, PhD: Surfactant proteins, lung infection, inflammation, and injury/repair

Ward Rice, MD, PhD: Molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating surfactant processing

John Shannon, PhD: Lung morphogenesis and differentiation, and FGFs

Timothy Weaver, PhD: Cytoprotective pathways, epithelium adaptation to stress, surfactant

Jeffrey Whitsett, MD: Lung transcriptional control, epithelial patterning and differentiation

Yan Xu, PhD: Bioinformatics, systems biology of lung development and disease

Rare Lung Diseases Consortium

The Rare Lung Diseases Consortium (RLDC) is a network of cooperating clinical centers and patient support organizations who are working with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in a collaborative network whose novel structure is designed to accelerate clinical research and improve the delivery of medical care to individuals affected by rare lung diseases.

Pulmonary Biology