Over the past two decades, the American Lung Association of Oregon has awarded in excess of $600,000 to local researchers. Our research awards have supported top people in the greater Oregon research community. We are very pleased to know that our "seed money" has in many cases been the catalyst for other larger awards investigating a variety of breathing issues related to lung disease. Only through this vital research will we accomplish our mission to prevent and cure lung disease.
Please visit the National American Lung Association's website for current research award and grant opportunities.
Oregon Grant Recipient
 This section spotlights several of our past local research award recipients: Cynthia McEvoy, MD, Associate Professor from the Department of Pediatrics at Oregon Health Sciences University; Karen J. Wesenberg, MD, a Fellow in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, also at OHSU; and David Lewinsohn, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine for the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at OHSU.
Dr. McEvoy's research project was titled "Rescue Antenatal Steroids and Lung Volumes in Preterm Infants" and Dr. Wesenberg's research project title was "Impact of Mandated Screening for Tuberculosis in the Homeless."
 Dr. Lewinsohn received a National Lung Association Medical Research Grant. A description by Dr. Lewinsohn of his research project titled, "Recognition of Mtb-infected Cells by CD8+ T Lymphocytes" is included below.also to David Lewinsohn, MD, the Assistant
Professor of Medicine for the Division of Pulmonary and Critical
Care Medicine at OHSU who is the recipient of a National Lung
Association Medical Research Grant. A description by Dr. Lewinsohn
of his research project titled, "Recognition of Mtb-infected
Cells by CD8+ T Lymphocytes" is included below.
These professionals are part of a long list of successful Oregon-based researchers who have benefited from local research funded by the American Lung Association of Oregon.
Recognition of Mtb-infected Cells by CD8+ T Lymphocytes
David
Lewinsohn, MD
Tuberculosis remains a leading cause of death
worldwide. While effective treatment strategies exist, eradication
of
this devastating disease requires an improved vaccine.
The bacterium that causes tuberculosis (Mtb) resides within
normal
immune cells called macrophages. Therefore, elimination of
the bacteria depends upon the identification and elimination
of these infected cells by a distinct set of immune cells
- T cells. Consequently, an understanding of the T cell
response to tuberculosis is of central importance in the
development
of improved vaccines.
One type of T cell that is capable of recognizing and destroying
infected cells is the CD8+ cytotoxic T cell. This cell
is essential for immunity to viruses and tumors, but little
is
known about its role in tuberculosis. The project "Recognition
of Mtb-infected cells by CD8+ T lymphocytes" seeks
to further our understanding of the role of CD8+ cytotoxic
T
cells in containing tuberculosis. The existence of CD8+
cytotoxic T cells that recognize Mtb infected cells has
been established
in this laboratory. These cells release potent mediators
of
inflammation (interferon-gamma) in response to infected
cells, and are capable of destroying the infected cell.
As a result,
this type of cell is well suited to provide immunity to
tuberculosis. At present, little is known about how these
cells are able
to identify cells that are infected with Mtb. It is the
purpose of this project to define the manner in which the
T cell
recognizes
infected cells. The information gained from this research
should provide a sound foundation for the development of
an
improved tuberculosis vaccine.
|
|
|
