North Carolina Research
The American Lung Association of the Atlantic Coast funds research grants on its own and in cooperation with the national American Lung Association. In Fiscal Year 2007-2008, the ALAAC contributed $717,546 to research grants locally and nationally. For Fiscal Year 2008-2009, we have committed to $665,005 in research funding.
In North Carolina, we are funding one research grant in Fiscal Year 2008-2009.
Research Grant
Jennifer Ingram, Ph.D., Duke University
"Interleukin-13 and Corticosteroid-induced Regulation of Platelet Derived Growth Factor in Asthma"
Asthma is characterized by chronic inflammation and airway remodeling, including airway scarring or fibrosis. Interleukin-13 is a protein that is abundantly produced in the airways of asthmatics and regulates many of the features of airway remodeling. Corticosteroids, the primary therapy for asthma, while effective in reducing inflammation, may or may not inhibit airway fibrosis. The primary researcher, in collaboration with Dr. Monica Kraft of Duke University, will focus on the regulation of pro-fibrotic growth factors and their receptors by corticosteroids. They are finding significant differences in the expression of these proteins between asthma and normal, healthy subjects. The plan is to study how fundamental differences in protein expression between asthmatic and normal, healthy airway fibroblasts influence the susceptibility of human subjects with asthma to increased inflammation, airway fibrosis and remodeling.
