Leave No One Behind: The Forum of International Respiratory Societies Calls for Equitable Access to Prevention and Treatment on World Lung Day 2023

This World Lung Day, Sept. 25, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) and its founding member the American Thoracic Society, is calling on governments and health care providers worldwide to give equitable access to preventative services and treatments for respiratory conditions, and lifesaving pneumonia vaccines for children.

Dr. David Winter with Baylor Scott & White discusses the latest concerns about air quality in the US

David Winter, MD, at Baylor Scott & White Health, answers the most common patient questions and reacts to the latest medical research. How bad is the current air pollution in the northeastern U.S.? (SOT@ :14, TRT :42) Who is most…

A readily available dietary supplement may reverse organ damage caused by HIV and antiretroviral therapy

MitoQ, a mitochondrial antioxidant that is available to the public as a diet supplement, was found in a mouse study to reverse the detrimental effects that HIV and antiretroviral therapy (ART) have on mitochondria in the brain, heart, aorta, lungs, kidney and liver.

PFF Celebrates Black History Month and Encourages Diversity in Research

The PFF celebrates and honors Black History Month this February. The PFF advocates for increasing diversity of patient representation through the PFF Community Registry to enhance research and improve treatment options for those in the African-American and other communities.

Tiny swimming robots treat deadly pneumonia in mice

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.

Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Research Explores Quality and Access to Patient Care

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation announced research results from four studies examining access to care and outcomes for patients living with pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease.

Some cases of long COVID-19 may be caused by an abnormally suppressed immune system, UCLA-led research suggests

Researchers studying the effect of the monoclonal antibody Leronlimab on long COVID-19 may have found a surprising clue to the baffling syndrome, one that contradicts their initial hypothesis. An abnormally suppressed immune system may be to blame, not a persistently hyperactive one as they had suspected.

“Lungs in a Box” Now Offered at Northwestern Medicine

Due to COVID-19 and a rapidly expanding list of conditions for which lung transplantation can be lifesaving, the need for new organs is growing. However, there’s a global shortage of donated lungs, which results in numerous deaths among patients on the waitlist. To help expand the donor pool, Northwestern Medicine is now using a device from XVIVO called XPS™ which is used for ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) – nicknamed “lungs in a box” – to rescue potentially viable lungs and those initially deemed “unacceptable” for transplant. Out of all solid organs, lungs have the lowest utilization, with only one in five donated lungs getting transplanted.

Microplastics and human health: FSU researchers find exposure to microplastics may alter cellular function

Pollution from miniscule pieces of plastic, or microplastics, have been a growing concern for scientists, public health advocates and environmentalists as these nondegradable items have increasingly made their way into waterways and even the air we breathe. Now, scientists are showing that they might be altering cellular function.

Microchip Models of Human Lungs Enable Better Understanding of Disease, Immune Response

In Biomicrofluidics, researchers review lung-on-chip technologies that represent the vital properties of lung tissue and are capable of recapitulating the fundamental aspects of various pathologies. The researchers reviewed various lung-on-chips and their applications in examining, diagnosing, and treating human viruses, including the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The knowledge accumulated paves the way to use these models to study the interaction of several human respiratory viruses with the airway epithelium and alveolus in an organ-relevant setting.

Initial Severity of COVID-19 Is Not Associated with Later Poor Health or Respiratory Complications

A new study published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society examines the recovery of lung function and overall wellness in individuals who had varying degrees of COVID-19 severity. Little is known about lung health following infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and whether later respiratory problems, fatigue and ill health are associated with the disease’s initial severity.

Digital Stethoscope Uses Artificial Intelligence for Diagnosing Lung Abnormalities

Stethoscopes are a ubiquitous and cost-effective tool for medical diagnosis, but they open the door to subjectivity and can experience high levels of environmental noise. This makes it difficult to properly diagnose lung abnormalities, like COVID-19, by listening to sounds from the body. James West, at Johns Hopkins University, has been developing a digital stethoscope equipped with artificial intelligence for accurate lung diagnoses. He will discuss its opportunities and obstacles at the 179th ASA Meeting.

University of Miami Health System and 4DMedical Launch Research Program Advancing Breakthrough Lung Technology

UHealth – the University of Miami Health System, the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, and 4DMedical recently announced the creation of the Functional Lung Imaging Research Program in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the Miller School.

General Electric Healthcare Chooses UH to Clinically Evaluate First-of-its-kind Imaging System

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center physicians completed evaluation for the GE Healthcare Critical Care Suite, and the technology is now in daily clinical practice – flagging between seven to 15 collapsed lungs per day within the hospital. No one on the team could have predicted the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but this technology and future research with GEHC may enhance the capability to improve care for COVID-19 patients in the ICU. Critical Care Suite is now assisting in COVID and non-COVID patient care as the AMX 240 travels to intensive care units within the hospital.

Xenobiotic Receptor Activation, CRISPR/Cas9, Magnetic Resonance-Guided Radiotherapy, and More Featured in May 2020 Toxicological Sciences

During these difficult times, the Society of Toxicology’s official journal, Toxicological Sciences, remains a source for leading research in toxicology, including in the areas of biomarkers, carcinogenesis, and organ-specific toxicology.