Role of GM-CSF in the pathogenesis of COPD

Funded Activity Summary

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major global health problem and has been predicted to become the third largest cause of death in the world by 2020. Cigarette smoking is the major cause of COPD and accounts for more than 95% of cases in industrialized countries. Cigarette smoke triggers cells in the lung to release substances which cause inflammation and eat away lung tissue. In addition, these substances enter the blood and muscle where they eat away muscle resulting in significant weight loss. Patients with COPD have severe difficulty in breathing because the lungs are damaged and do not function properly. This process, once started, cannot be reversed and there is currently no satisfactory therapy to help treat individuals with this terrible disease. People with COPD are prone to viral and bacterial infections of the lungs. These infections cause further inflammation, lung damage and difficulty in breathing. These infections place a tremendous burden on health care resources, have a huge effect on the quality of life and are a common cause of death. The reason why respiratory infections are so serious for people with COPD is unclear. Preliminary results from our laboratory show that a substance called GM-CSF, released from cells in the lung, may be involved in the development of COPD. Thus, the aim of this project is to use our mouse models of COPD to determine whether GM-CSF is involved in the development of COPD. The insights gained may lead to the identification of potentially novel ways to prevent and treat COPD.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2007

End Date: 01-01-2009

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $565,065.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Respiratory Diseases

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

Airway diseases | Airway inflammation | Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) | Chronic inflammation | Cigarette smoking | GM-CSF

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