Winners of the 2013 Junior Investigator Award!

Dr. Matalon, the APS and everyone associated with AJP-Lung would like to congratulate the winners of this year's Junior Investigator Award!  They are provided $500 and will have their accomplishment announced at this year's Trainee Breakfast at EB.  Please join me in congratulating them! 

Julia E. Rager , Ph.D. (Postdoctoral Researcher, UNC Chapel Hill)

DNA methylation in nasal epithelial cells from smokers: identification of ULBP3-related effects.

Rager JE, Bauer RN, Müller LL, Smeester L, Carson JL, Brighton LE, Fry RC, Jaspers I.

Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2013 Sep 15;305(6):L432-8. doi: 10.1152/ajplung.00116.2013. Epub 2013 Jul 5.

PMID: 23831618 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

James Londino (Ph.D. Candidate, University of Alabama at Birmingham) 

Influenza matrix protein 2 alters CFTR expression and function through its ion channel activity.

Londino JD, Lazrak A, Jurkuvenaite A, Collawn JF, Noah JW, Matalon S.

Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2013 May 1;304(9):L582-92. doi: 10.1152/ajplung.00314.2012. Epub 2013 Mar 1.

PMID: 23457187 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Esra Roan, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, University of Memphis) 

Hyperoxia alters the mechanical properties of alveolar epithelial cells.

Roan E, Wilhelm K, Bada A, Makena PS, Gorantla VK, Sinclair SE, Waters CM.

Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2012 Jun 15;302(12):L1235-41. doi: 10.1152/ajplung.00223.2011. Epub 2012 Mar 30.

PMID: 22467640 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 

Franziska M. Konrad (Research Fellow,  University of Tuebingen) 

Adenosine receptor A2b on hematopoietic cells mediates LPS-induced migration of PMNs into the lung interstitium.

Konrad FM, Witte E, Vollmer I, Stark S, Reutershan J.

Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2012 Sep;303(5):L425-38. doi: 10.1152/ajplung.00387.2011. Epub 2012 Jun 15.

PMID: 22707616 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] 

Tracy Schmidt (Graduate Student, University of Illinois at Chicago) 

Conditional deletion of FAK in mice endothelium disrupts lung vascular barrier function due to destabilization of RhoA and Rac1 activities.

Schmidt TT, Tauseef M, Yue L, Bonini MG, Gothert J, Shen TL, Guan JL, Predescu S, Sadikot R, Mehta D.

Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2013 Aug 15;305(4):L291-300. doi: 10.1152/ajplung.00094.2013. Epub 2013 Jun 14.

PMID: 23771883 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

AJP-Lung at AUA in Palo Alto this week!

Please join Dr. Sadis Matalon, Dr. Charles Emala and Dr. YS Prakash at the 61st Annual Meeting of the Association of University Anesthesiologists this week!

Dr. Matalon will be moderating a Plenary Sesstion on Lung Injury, Remodeling and Repair featuring the esteemed panel of Dr. Brant Michael Wagener (UAB); Jae-Woo Lee (UCSF); Dr. Charles Serhan (Harvard) and Dr. Daryl J. Kor (Mayo).

Friday, April 25th, 2014
1:00 - 3:00 pm
Li Ka Shing Center for Learning and Knowledge
Stanford Medical School
Palo Alto, California

AJP-Lung Events at EB 2014!

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Announcement of the 2013 Junior Investigator Award Winners

Trainee Highlights Breakfast

7:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Marina Ballroom FG at the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina

Sadis Matalon, Ph.D., Dr. Sc. (Hon.)

Editor-in-Chief, AJP-Lung

Monday, April 28, 2014

Bioengineering the Lung: From Myth to Reality
8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Room 20A, San Diego Convention Center
Y.S. Prakash
Kurt R. Stenmark

Monday, April 28, 2014

The Enigma Variations: The Many Faces of the Myofibroblast in Fibrotic Disease
3:15 PM – 5:15 PM
Room 28B, San Diego Convention Center
Rachel C. Chambers
Paul F. Mercer

Monday, April 28, 2014

Announcement of the 2014 Hermann Rahn Award Winners

APS Respiration Section Banquet

6:00 PM

Wyndham San Diego Bayside

Sadis Matalon, Ph.D., Dr. Sc. (Hon.)

Editor-in-Chief, AJP-Lung

Experimental Biology 2014: The Enigma Variations: The Many Faces of the Myofibroblast in Fibrotic Disease

Symposium: 

The Enigma Variations: The Many Faces of the Myofibroblast in Fibrotic Disease

Sponsored by:  Respiration Section

Track:  Tissue Remodeling and Repair

Date:

Monday, April 28, 2014

Time: 

3:15 PM – 5:15 PM

Location: 

Room 28B, San Diego Convention Center

Chaired by:

Rachel C. Chambers

Paul F. Mercer

There is currently a paucity of pharmacological interventions for fibrotic disorders of the lung, which account for significant levels of mortality akin to many forms of cancer. The development of pulmonary fibrosis is thought be driven by a dysregulated wound healing response, through continual local injury or impaired control mechanisms. Uncontrolled or sustained activation of mesenchymal cell populations leads to differentiation of fibroblasts into contractile myofibroblasts, excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, gross tissue distortion and eventually can lead to complete loss of organ function. Despite being widely accepted as the central effector cell in fibrosis affecting all organs, our understanding of the myofibroblast and its contribution to fibrotic pathology has only begun to develop relatively recently. Critical questions including the origin of the myofibroblast, understanding fibroblast heterogeneity and in addition to how the myofibroblast responds and contributes to the fibrotic milieu, all remain largely unresolved.

This symposium is aimed at basic and translational scientists engaged in understanding fibrotic cell biology on the lung and prosecuting therapeutic targets in this area. It will bring together world class researchers focussing on a range of aspects of myofibroblast biology including progenitor tracing, the response of myofibroblasts to environmental ques, and myofibroblast metabolism during disease. The aim of the symposium will be to establish critical pathways in myofibroblast biology pertinent to lung fibrosis by drawing on world class researchers, investigating  myofibroblast cell biology in a variety of settings. The attendee will come away with an understanding of the processes central to myofibroblast cell biology in fibrosis and will have a good grasp of the key questions which still require resolution in this field.  It is hoped that this arena could serve as a seed for potential cross collaboration between researchers interested in fibrotic cell biology in a range of different organ systems.

3:15 PM

Who are you and where do you come from? The origin of the myofibroblast.

Jeremy  Duffield. Univ. of Washington

3:45 PM

The stressed out myofibroblast: thriving under tension.

Boris  Hinz. Univ. of Toronto

4:15 PM

PI3 kinase: An oncogenic target in fibrosis.

Paul F Mercer. Univ. College London

4:45 PM

Where do we go from here? Emerging myofibroblast targets in lung fibrosis.

Patricia J. Sime. Univ. of Rochester Med. Ctr.

Experimental Biology 2014: Bioengineering the Lung: From Myth to Reality

Symposium: Bioengineering the Lung: From Myth to Reality

Sponsored by:  American Journal of Physiology: Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology

Track:  Tissue Remodeling and Repair

Date: 

Monday, April 28, 2014

Time:

8:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Location: 

Room 20A, San Diego Convention Center

Chaired by:

Y.S. Prakash

Kurt R. Stenmark

Diseases that affect the lung and pulmonary vasculature cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this regard, conditions such as COPD, interstitial fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension are particularly problematic. With no “cures”, clinical management relies on multimodal drug therapies, rehabilitation and, for end-stage cases, lung transplantation. Furthermore, conditions such as tracheal stenosis, tumors invading large extrapulmonary airways, and malformations of larger pulmonary vessels all require replacement strategies beyond artificial grafts. However, transplantation of allogeneic lung, airway and vascular tissue is limited by shortage of donors, graft rejections and long term sequelae of immune suppression. Organ bioengineering is an exciting and emerging solution, the aim of which is  de novo generation of tissues and organs for transplantation. However,  building complex organs such as the lung, which need to function immediately and effectively upon transplantation, will require collaborative, multi-disciplinary research into biocompatible materials and scaffolds, cellularization of implantable structures (especially using stem cells), airway, alveolar and vascular mechanics and physiology, and immunology.

The symposium entitled “Bioengineering the Lung: From Myth to Reality” will bring together leaders in the field of tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, physiology, and immunology, who will highlight new scientific advances in our current understanding of some of these key concepts of organ bioengineering, as well as current challenges to design, implementation and utilization of engineered lung tissues for transplantation. The symposium will begin with a discussion of biocompatible scaffold design/production that allow cellularization while maintaining mechanical properties critical for the transplanted lung to function (Sarah Gilpin). Here, new biocompatible materials as well as de-cellularized scaffolds from large animals hold great promise. These advances in biomaterials will need to be matched by innovative techniques for cellularization of anatomically appropriate scaffolds, and thus better understanding of factors that control stem or progenitor cell adhesion, migration, differentiation and survival (Daniel Weiss). Subsequently, mechanical forces resulting from repetitive lung inflation/deflation and blood flow pulsatility in vascular homeostasis become important for the bioengineering organ to withstand forces within the chest cavity following transplantation, without collapse, injury or failure of blood and gas exchange. From an integrative physiology perspective, a functional bioengineered lung will be the test of successful collaborative research. Exciting advances in “putting together” a bioengineered lung (Panoskaltsis-Mortari) will be discussed.

Finally, the “proof” will be in the “pudding” of surgical and clinical reality of when and whether a fully functional bioengineered lung can be placed into  humans.  There is certainly no consensus regarding the reality, reliability and applicability of bioengineered lungs. An outstanding way to put forth this concept is a lively debate stimulated by asking the question: is lung bioengineering myth or reality (Bhattacharya).

This symposium will appeal to a wide audience of anatomists, cell/molecular biologists, physiologists, and biomedical engineers. The appeal for researchers and clinicians in pulmonary physiology and medicine is clear. The talks are intended to provide translational bridges between diverse, yet collaborative, areas that are fundamental to advancing this field. The symposium will also highlight an ongoing Call for Papers on this topic by Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol, helping to enhance contribution of FASEB members from different societies to APS journals.

8:00 AM

Decellularized scaffolds for tissue engineering.

Sarah Gilpin. Massachusetts Gen. Hosp.

8:30 AM

Stem cells in bioengineering the lung.

Daniel J. Weiss. Univ. of Vermont

9:00 AM

The bioengineered lung: putting it all together.

Angela  Panoskaltsis-Mortari. Univ. of Minnesota

9:30 AM 

Bioengineered lung: myth or reality?

Jahar Bhattacharya. Columbia Univ.

Y.S. Prakash is now Deputy Editor of AJP-Lung!

Please join Dr. Matalon and AJP-Lung in congratulating Dr. Y.S. Prakash on his nomination as the Deputy Editor of AJP-Lung!  

Dr. Prakash is an expert on airway reactivity and as a clinical anesthesiologist at the renowed Mayo Clinic (where he also serves as Chair, Department of Anesthesia Research), has considerable insight into the translational implications of basic science research. We are lucky to have his enthusiasm, brilliance and charming personality as part of AJP-Lung! 

His faculty page can be found here. Thank you, again!

Awardees of the inaugural Hermann Rahn Award for Excellence in Pulmonary Research

Dr. Sadis Matalon has established the Hermann Rahn Award for Excellence in Pulmonary Researchfor outstanding contributions by junior members of the APS to Pulmonary Biology. Three awards will be distributed during the Respiration Dinner at the 2014 Experimental Biology meeting at San Diego. The purpose of this award is to enhance participation of pulmonary scientists and physicians to the EB meeting and improve the quality and impact of the Respiration Section.

Dr. Hermann Rahn (1912–1990) received his Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Rochester (1933) and began teaching physiology at the University of Rochester in 1941. He collaborated with Dr. Wallace O. Fenn and Dr. A.B. Otis to lay the foundation of respiratory gas exchange and respiratory mechanics. Some of their seminal findings were published in the American Journal of Physiology (Rahn H. A concept of mean alveolar air and the ventilation-blood flow relationships during pulmonary gas exchange. Am J Physiol 158: 21–30; 1949; Rahn H, Otis AB, Chadwick LE, Fenn WO. The pressure-volume diagram of the thorax and lung. Am J Physiol 146: 161–178, 1946; . Rahn H, Fenn WO. A graphical analysis of the respiratory gas exchange. Washington, DC: Am. Physiol. Soc., 1955). Their work fostered the field of aerospace medicine and advances in pressure breathing and understanding of acclimatization to altitude. The O₂-CO₂and pressure-volume diagrams are in every respiration book and taught to medical students.

Dr. Rahn joined the University at Buffalo in 1956 as the Lawrence D. Bell Professor and Chair of the Department of Physiology. He trained and collaborated with a large number of outstanding physician scientists including Dr. Claude Lenfant (who became the first director of the National Heart. Lung and Blood Institute), Dr. Leon Farhi and Dr. John West. Please see the outstanding article by Dr. West on the “Physiological legacy of the Fenn, Rahn and Otis School, Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 303: L845–L851, 2012; (http://ajplung.physiology.org/content/ajplung/303/10/L845.full.pdf). Dr. Rahn was the 36^th President of the American Physiological Society (1963-1964) and a member of the National Academy of Science and is well known to ornithologists for his work on avian eggs. In collaboration with Dr. O. Douglas Wangensteen and Dr. Charles V. Paganelli, he developed a series of equations to describe the interrelation-ships of bird size, egg size, incubation period, shell structure, and energy and water use as well as the diffusion of gases across the egg shell.

After reviewing numerous qualified abstracts (eligibility is also predicated upon submission and presentation of an abstract to the Experimental Biology meeting on one of the Respiration Section topics), the Awards Committee has determined the awardees of the inaugural Hermann Rahn Award for Excellence in Pulmonary Research:

Dr. Fiona Murray, of the University of Aberdeen, for Abstract #1491: Interleukin-33 in pulmonary arterial hypertension: a role in disease pathogenesis? 

Dr. Megha Talati, of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, for Abstract #4357: Mutant BMPR2 expression in Cardiomyocytes Results in an Altered Hypertrophic Response 

Dr. Rajasingh Johnson, of the University of Kansas Medical Center, for Abtract #6336: Combinatorial treatment with epigenetic modifiers inhibits thrombin-induced eNOS/RhoA signaling and restores AJ integrity.

Please join me in congratulating these individuals on their accomplishments. We hope that they will submit their outstanding manuscripts to the American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology (http://ajplung.physiology.org/)