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SimplyGO being tested at 5500 ft by Lyn Cole

Posted on April 4th, 2012 by admin

Hope your jobs are as much fun as my “play” >

Having tested the new Respironics POC ‘Simply go’
[remember I live, at around 5500 ft altitude]…for hours while riding in a car as a passenger, to a Better breathers, to two funerals, … and a couple of times really slowly on the treadmill, (did I mention the cart is a dream come true),t oday I put it to a really long walk on the Treadmill,
I walked 2.6 miles, tested it for 95 minutes- moving up to faster pace, while switching around
using different pulse values and also with

3 different oxygen delivery systems…very interesting

The TTO ( Transtracheal oxygen system direct into my neck) consistently oxygenated close to 1% above other oxygen delivery systems.
The Oxyview glasses slightly lower than TTO, +/- 1%,
then with
the Salter (regular) cannula sats were trailing behind a full one to two percent lower than TTO…

you might say they work: >good-cannula >better-Oxyview >best -TTO.
I am so glad I have a TTO since that helps me use POC’s [or any system for that matter],more efficiently thus all will last longer for me.

as you can see, I test my oxygenation using two Nonin Onyx II oximeters (I have /use others- but they are always + or – one higher or lower (as is even the patient model Nonin Go2) so I stick with the professional model. Terry should like the shirt I wore for the second testing. (see blog below).

My walking speed the other test days was at 1 mph – boosted up to 1.5 and then 2 MPH today.
testing the Simply Go while using the pulse flow mode
beginning with the highest #6 ,and then trying it lower at # 5.5, 5, 4.5 pulse settings.

and finally the lowest *I* could go and have adequate sats, was on #4 pulse – at which time -when I tried going faster at 2 mph then the MX alarm sounded with the cannula and glasses… causing erratic oximeter readings up and down, fluctuating…
so I stopped, retried same thing with the TTO and then it didn’t MX out until after a full five minutes of walking… it kept me at 93-94% until the MX signal. the HR a nice 111.
While sitting it holds my O2 sats nicely around 93% even as low as #1.5 pulse.

Deduction – for ‘my’ slow walk needs, use #4.5 pulse when not ‘plugged in’- or – walk a little slower to save battery when out and about,
but of course with the tread mill and plugged into an outlet – I can use as high a pulse as desired.
For someone not having the 53% diffusion problem I have, this would be one heck of a sweet machine-
and at sea level it would probably be great for me too… as it is, it does work for me enough to be very helpful at times- and I am using it as a ‘back up’ of oxygen when I do my all day trips, it eliminates having to fill so many liquid portables.
Of course there is nothing like liquid oxygen if I want to walk 4 mph- then I require 16 liters.

It will be a while before I can chart all this … I post about my testing as I go along on several on-line support groups… folks are very interested…then I post on the blog leading up interest in the charts later… these blog pages have some pictures of the machine, and my testing – also the last one shows the COPD+ team on Feb 28th.

on my BLOG>
FEB 21 2012 SIMPLY GO POC introduced

http://www.wellsphere.com/copd-emphysema-article/feb-21-2012-simply-go-poc-introduced/1613430

new AEROCRINE for asthma monitoring

Posted on April 2nd, 2012 by admin

SOLNA, Sweden – 2 April, 2012 – Aerocrine AB (OMX Nordic Exchange: AERO) announces that a nine-member council representing both prestigious asthma societies, the American Academy and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI and AAAAI), have published a position statement in support of the clinical practice guideline on Aerocrine’s FeNO test as published by the ATS.

The ATS guideline on the Interpretation of Exhaled Nitric Oxide for Clinical Applications has now received formal recognition and support from the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI) and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI). The endorsement by the ACAAI and AAAAI underscores the importance of measuring FeNO to assess airway inflammation in order to determine appropriate treatment for asthma patients. The ATS guideline, which was published in September 2011, defines clinical situations where FeNO testing is appropriate as well as guidelines for the interpretation of FeNO results. The ATS guideline, now also endorsed by the AAAAI and ACAAI, notes that FeNO testing provides valuable information to the physician that traditional clinical tools cannot provide.

“We are pleased that all 3 societies have come forward in support of FeNO. It provides another level of credibility to the clinical utility and cost effectiveness of the NIOX MINO® and our ability to help clinicians make more informed decisions,” said Scott Myers, CEO, Aerocrine.

“Several private insurance companies wanted all three societies to support these guidelines so this statement by ACAAI and AAAAI will now provide the proof that clinicians see the value and want to use our test. This statement of support will also resonate with physicians outside the US who look to other countries for guidelines and data to improve the way they practice medicine. We are pleased that all three societies support us in helping more physicians and patients”, continues Scott Myers, CEO, Aerocrine.

Asthma is a complex disease and its cost burden to society on an annual basis is over $50B in the U.S. alone. There is no cure for asthma, current therapy is focused on controlling the disease. Aerocrine’s NIOX MINO® FeNO monitor can help physicians identify patients who will be responsive to treatment with anti-inflammatory medications such as inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), and alert them to patients who are not adhering to their treatments. Now all of the major US respiratory societies recognize the importance of FeNO testing in managing asthma.

“FeNO measurements enable physicians to gain a perspective of underlying airway inflammation not otherwise possible using the traditional clinical tools of history, physical exam, lungfunction, and quality of life assessments. This represents a giant step along the road to improving the quality of care people with asthma receive”, said Peter Boggs, MD, FACAAI, a member of the joint ACAAI/AAAAI committee.

“The Joint Position Statement along with the ATS Guideline is exactly what we need to capitalize on payor coverage. It’s really quite simple – if airway inflammation defines asthma and if airway inflammation isn’t being measured, then how can a patient be optimally treated? Physicians don’t manage hypertension treatment without measuring blood pressure. Why then should asthma be managed without measuring airway inflammation?” said Kathy Hodgdon, US Director of Sales and Marketing, Aerocrine.

For more information regarding the ATS Guideline, visit www.thoracic.org. For more information on the Joint Statement, visit http://acaai-365.ascendeventmedia.com/Content.aspx?p=374

IPF News

Posted on March 21st, 2012 by admin

American Thoracic Society News Release
For more information, contact:
Nathaniel Dunford
212-315-8620
ndunford@thoracic.org

Contact:
Teresa Barnes (tbarnes@coalitionforpf.org)
for the Fibrosis Across Organs Symposium
303-521-4080 First Fibrosis across Organs Symposium Provides Direction for Future Research and Treatment Efforts in Fibrotic Diseases

Global experts in lung, liver, kidney, heart and skin fibrosis meet to discuss similarities and differences of fibrotic diseases that affect millions worldwide- collaboration could drive future treatments and curesDenver, Colo., March 13, 2012 – Experts from around the globe gathered in Denver over the weekend for a workshop in fibrotic diseases that exist in different organ system, including the lung, liver, kidney, heart and skin and claim millions of lives. These discussions will advance the understanding of diagnosis and treatment in these organ systems. Most fibrotic diseases are progressive, irreversible and ultimately deadly.The American Thoracic Society (ATS) convened the meeting March 8-11 to bring together top scientists, researchers and physicians from academia, clinical practice and industry to identify the shared molecular and physiologic responses operative during tissue injury and repair. More than 60 participants from around the world attended the meeting.
“The ATS was excited to be the first to offer a meeting of this kind to explore and identify new pathways to discovery in fibrotic diseases,” said ATS Executive Director Steve Crane, PhD, MPH. “It was an impressive collaboration of experts in different specialties that we believe will advance the speed of discovery and move us faster towards treatment and cures.”The meeting’s objectives were to set the scientific priorities for future investigations in single organ and cross-organ fibrotic disease, assess the currently available experimental models and their relevance to human health and disease and to identify potential promising therapies for pathologic tissue fibrosis, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), also referred to as simply pulmonary fibrosis (PF) or lung fibrosis and fibrosis that occurs in the heart, liver, kidney and skin. “The physician and research participants at this meeting covered a lot of ground in a short period of time and worked to identify the directions we should take in the area of fibrosis,” said Gregory Cosgrove, MD, chair of the Fibrosis Across Organ Systems Organizing Committee and a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health in Denver. “The real success of this meeting will be measured by its impact on research into diseases and the lives of the patients who suffer from them and the stimulation of similar meetings around the world.”“We all work in silos and we’ve broken down the barriers of our silos here,” said William Travis, M.D., a pathologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “We go back to our areas to work outside of the box and work with other specialty areas.”
The meeting was organized by a group of physicians, academic experts and patient advocates, including the meeting’s founders, John Tosi, DDS and his wife, Teresa Barnes who chairs the ATS Public Advisory Roundtable (PAR) and is vice president of the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis. Other committee organizers were Kevin Brown, M.D., a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health; Dennis E. Doherty, M.D., pulmonologist at University of Kentucky and the Lexington, Kentucky Veteran’s Administration (VA) Medical Centers; and Dolly Kervitsky, RCP, CCRC, an experienced respiratory therapist who is vice president of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. The outcomes of the meeting will include a “Fibrosis Roadmap” for multidisciplinary and inter-institutional investigations that will published in a scientific journal. “It is our intent that with a multidisciplinary approach, advances in our understanding in one disease may foster understanding in different fibrosing diseases so that exponential rather than incremental advances will be achieved,” said Dr. Cosgrove.About the American Thoracic Society

Founded in 1905, the American Thoracic Society is the world’s leading medical association dedicated to advancing pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. The Society’s 15,000 members prevent and fight respiratory disease around the globe through research, education, patient care and advocacy.

Teresa Barnes
VP, Patient Outreach & Program Support
Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis
office: 888-222-8541, ext. 702
cell: 303-521-4080
email: TBarnes@coalitionforpf.org
website: www.coalitionforpf.org

people for Quality care

Posted on March 21st, 2012 by admin

People for Quality Care needs you to take action to stop Medicare’s competitive bidding
As the advocacy division of the VGM Group, Inc., we need you to contact your senators to ask them to push for the necessary Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score for the Market Pricing Program. Getting this CBO score is the first step in getting the MPP started and to eventually replace the existing competitive bidding program. A score will increase the likelihood that MPP receives serious consideration in Congress.
What is the Market Pricing Program?
The Market Pricing Program is a replacement for the competitive bidding program. The program includes a revised auction process that will create outcomes that are better for providers and beneficiaries. Most importantly, prices will not be so low that business is unsustainable, and community-based providers will have a better opportunity to compete based on customer service instead of a bid.
Should I contact my senator?
Yes! We are targeting senators based on their membership of important decision- making committees and those we have had past, positive conversations with regarding important issues. The committee members we are targeting are those on the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee (HELP), Finance Committee and the Special Aging Committee. However, contacting any of the senators and asking them to push the people they work with is important.
How do I contact my senator?
We’re glad you asked! We’ve made it very easy and quick for you.
1. Click on www.peopleforqualitycare.org and scroll down to the bottom of the page to the oversized green arrow.
2. Type YOUR zip code in the white box and click “GO.”
3. You will be taken to the “Action Alert” box with the picture of the president
and the senators in your district. The first line will say “Ask Your Senators for a CBO Score” and under that will be a “Click Here.” Clicking on that will take you to the letter. Do not go to “Step One,” that is for a different course of action.
4. Follow the instructions. The letter is written but you can change it if you wish. After you fill in your information, click “Send Message” and you’re done! In

Washington DC 3/27-3/31
Medtrade in Las Vegas 4/10-4/13
just a few minutes you will have made a real difference in the lives of seniors, people with disabilities, people who use home medical equipment, and HME providers.
Medicare beneficiaries express alarm over competitive bidding
Twenty-one Philadelphia area Medicare beneficiaries sent a letter to Pennsylvania’s two senators last week expressing fear of competitive bidding arriving in Round 2 of the Medicare program.
Sent to Sens. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Pat Toomey, R-Pa.,
the letter was the product of a recent town hall
teleconference call hosted by VGM’s Last Chance for Patient Choice, People for Quality Care, and the Pennsylvania Association of Medical Suppliers. The 21 beneficiaries learned about competitive bidding during the teleconference.
The letter lists three areas of concern: the importance of receiving timely service, preserving access to local providers, and protecting the choice of quality equipment and provider that best serve a beneficiary. The letter is available for viewing on the People for Quality Care website.
*This article was reprinted from HME News.
Medicare’s Competitive Bidding brings problems to the Sunshine State
Note from PFQC; This story is from Florida resident and oxygen user Karen Deitemeyer. Her story clearly shows the negative effects of Medicare’s competitive bidding. Karen is an oxygen user and her daughter works in the HME industry. Both have been affected by Round 1 of competitive bidding program.
“Will you get the oxygen equipment you want? Don’t hold your breath
I live in the metro Orlando area, which is one of the initial competitive bidding areas. The oxygen provider that my insurance company now contracts with (one which won
via competitive bidding) has terrible customer service. When they came to set up my concentrator, I asked for a humidifier bottle. They told me they prefer not to provide them because they do not believe in them. I continued to ask, and I was finally provided with one. I asked for a 50-foot length of tubing; was told they only provide 25 feet. I asked for two of those, then, with a connecter, and was told no and they didn’t budge from that. (Luckily I still had some extra tubing left from my previous provider).
“They also do not provide the water trap”, nor do they have the size of cannula that I prefer (the Salter 1616). Not life-threatening, but all signs of a company doing as little as possible since they bid so low. They also carry only two types of portable oxygen concentrators. I’m trying to get them to provide the one that best meets my needs and has been specifically ordered by my doctor, but it isn’t one of the two that they carry, so they are refusing.
Medicare’s competitive bidding sticks it to smaller diabetic suppliers
“My daughter works for a diabetic supply company in the Atlanta area – a small family-owned company that services patients in a small geographical area -
maybe three or four states. With competitive bidding, all diabetic supply houses are required to become national suppliers. This would be okay, except that they must now purchase licenses (which aren’t cheap) in ALL states, whether they intend or want to do business in all states. The owners can’t afford to do that, and have sold to a larger, nationwide company. They are in the midst of closing everything out and

transferring all records to the larger company and all but five employees have been paid off. My daughter figures she might have another couple of months left and after that, she also will be out of a job.”
“Things like this are happening in all of the competitive bidding areas. Repealing the competitive bidding is one of the initiatives that EFFORTS and the COPD Foundation (and other groups like ours) have been involved in for a couple of years. I hope this helps in understanding why it’s not been a good law.”
PFQC advocates for TBI awareness
People for Quality Care’s Beth Cox (right) and Steven Eilers (left) joined traumatic brain injury survivors and advocates at the Iowa state capitol on February 28 for the annual TBI Hill Day sponsored by the Brain Injury Association of Iowa. They are pictured with Iowa Senator Jeff Danielson.
PFQC supports Ms. Wheelchair
People for Quality Care is proud to support Ms. Wheelchair America 2013 and Leadership Institute. The event is the 40th annual pageant and is scheduledfor August 6-12 in Providence, RI.
To learn more about Ms. Wheelchair America, donate, or to get involved with your state’s competition, log on to www.mswheelchairamerica.org.

We need you to take action to stop Medicare’s competitive bidding!
Make change happen, sign the petition today!
Make your voice heard when you click on the link below and sign the Change.org petition. This petition will be sent directly to members of both the U.S. House and Senate, the president, and the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services telling them that you are against Medicare’s competitive bidding and want it replaced with the Market Pricing Program. You CAN make a difference and it’s easy to do, just click on the link below.

http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-competitive-bidding

Broadway Belts For PFF

Posted on February 29th, 2012 by admin

BROADWAY’S BEST GATHER TO RAISE FUNDS AND AWARENESS FOR THE PULMONARY FIBROSIS FOUNDATION

Anything Goes’ Julie Halston, Robert Creighton, and Surprise Guest Joel Grey Join Legendary Belter Darlene Love for Second Annual Broadway Belts for PFF!

NEW YORK, February 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — With honors ranging from the Rock’n'Roll Hall of Fame to the Tony Awards, Broadway’s best performers gathered Monday night to raise awareness of the rare disease, pulmonary fibrosis, and honor the memory of Associated Press theater critic, Michael Kuchwara. Hosted by award-winning actress and devoted Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) advocate Julie Halston, Broadway Belts for PFF! returned to Birdland in New York City for a second successful year. The event raised almost $50,000 to benefit the Foundation.

Sirius Satellite Radio’s Seth Rudetsky opened the show with an amusing monologue about belting and his favorite belters, including last year’s surprise guest Liza Minnelli. Broadway stars showcased their belting abilities under the musical direction of Jesse Kissel and returning director Carl Andress. The all-star cast included: Tony nominees Adam Pascal (Memphis) and Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon), Robert Creighton (Anything Goes), Lindsay Mendez (Godspell), Betsy Wolfe (Encores! Merrily We Roll Along), Heidi Blickenstaff (Now. Here. This., [title of show]), and Julia Murney (Queen of the Mist/Wicked). In a touching moment of remembrance, theater critic Adam Feldman took the stage and gave a heartfelt tribute to his friend and colleague, Michael Kuchwara

The evening’s surprise guest was famed Joel Grey, currently starring as Moonface Martin in the Broadway revivial of Anything Goes. He joined the stage with fellow Anything Goes cast member Robert Creighton to sing a duet of “Give My Regards to Broadway” and then an impromptu rendition of “Wilkommen” from his Tony Award
and Oscar Award winning role as the Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret. The evening culminated with the spectacular Darlene Love delighting the audience with “Today I Met the Man I’m Going to Marry” and “I Know Where I Have Been.” The entire cast joined Ms. Love on stage for an all-star, grand finale of the “Da Doo Ron Ron.”

“The success of Broadway Belts for PFF! is a testament to the hard work of Julie Halston and her amazing team,” said the PFF’s Chief Operating Officer, Patti Tuomey. “Their efforts amplify the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s mission, increasing awareness on Broadway and beyond. By raising almost $50,000 through this event, Julie makes our goal of finding a cure that much more feasible.”

Julie Halston, currently starring in Anything Goes, became the leading spokesperson for the PFF after her husband, broadcaster Ralph Howard, received a lung transplant due to pulmonary fibrosis. Ms. Halston hopes that the awareness created by Broadway Belts for PFF! will assist others affected by the disease.

“Five years ago, I had never even heard of pulmonary fibrosis. First my husband was diagnosed and then I lost my close friend Michael to the disease,” said Halston. “Now, I want to make sure everyone knows about the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, so that no one with the disease has to go through this alone. Together we can raise awareness and fund the research that will bring us closer to finding a cure.”

The PFF’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Daniel M. Rose, MD, emphasized the importance of funding research, as well as raising awareness. “With no FDA-approved treatment or cure for pulmonary fibrosis, funding research is a vital element of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s efforts,” said Dr. Rose. “Over the last ten years, pulmonary fibrosis research has greatly advanced and the Foundation has an increasingly clear picture of what needs to be done to support researchers, doctors, and patients.”

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation would like to thank this year’s Broadway Belts for PFF! Presenting Sponsor, the Doug and Gay Lane Charitable Foundation and Director’s Circle Sponsor, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The Foundation would also like to thank the following Broadway Partner Sponsors: Margo Lion; The Nederlander Organization; Daryl Roth; Richard Rothberg and Gersowitz, Libo and Korek, P.C. ESQS; and Thomas Schumacher.

All funds raised by the event will go toward the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s Michael Kuchwara Fund for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Research, Education, and Advocacy in honor of the late Associated Press theater critic and reporter. Mr. Kuchwara passed away from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in May of 2010.

For more information on the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, or to make a donation, please visit www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org.

SimplyGO by Philps

Posted on February 22nd, 2012 by admin

Having to live with an external oxygen source is no fun for people with COPD. The patients who require supplemental oxygen often are tethered to a heavy gas tank or an almost as heavy oxygen concentrator. There are portable concentrators on the market, but the lightweight ones designed for travel usually only offer pulsed oxygen delivery, effectively leaving a lot of people left with heavier devices that have to be wheeled around.

Philips Respironics has developed the SimplyGo highly portable oxygen concentrator that weighs ten pounds (4.5 Kg) and offers both pulsed and continuous oxygen delivery. This means that almost anyone requiring external oxygen can go fishing with the nephew instead of being stuck at home. Just don’t get the oxygen delivery tube tangled around the fishing line.

Like all POCs, SimplyGo delivers pulse dose oxygen—a burst of oxygen triggered when the user starts to take a breath. But SimplyGo is different from smaller devices because it is also capable of delivering oxygen continuously, similar to stationary concentrators used at home. With oxygen output of up to four times that of some lightweight POCs, SimplyGo can meet the portable needs of nearly all oxygen users including those who are highly active or require continuous flow.

Philips designed its latest portable oxygen concentrator with a long-life compressor, high-impact resistant design and oversized cart wheels in order to be rugged and easy-to-use. SimplyGo was tested and subjected to extreme conditions, including impacts, vibrations and temperatures, to deliver reliable performance day in and day out in real-life conditions experienced by oxygen users.

SimplyGo comes with an attractive, functional carrying case; fold-up mobile cart; intuitive, easy-to-read screen; and detachable accessory bag. A lightweight and compact battery adds to its portability. Extra batteries are available and can fit easily into the zippered pouch on the carrying case or accessories bag for extended use.

Additionally, two-, three-, or five-year warranties and flexible service programs are offered with SimplyGo to give homecare providers a variety of options to meet their individual business needs. SimplyGo’s design and comprehensive service tools also allow technicians to perform work right on site, if they choose.

Press release: Philips Respironics introduces portable oxygen concentrator that meets the needs of nearly all oxygen users
Product page: Philips Respironics SimplyGo…

SimplyGo brochure…

New Discovery Brings Lung Regeneration Closer To Reality

Posted on December 29th, 2011 by admin

Article Date: 31 Oct 2011 – 1:00 PDT

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College say they have taken an
important step forward in their quest to “turn on” lung regeneration — an
advance that could effectively treat millions of people suffering from
respiratory disorders.
In the journal Cell, the research team reports that they have uncovered
the biochemical signals in mice that trigger generation of new lung
alveoli, the numerous, tiny, grape-like sacs within the lung where oxygen
exchange takes place. Specifically, the regenerative signals originate
from the specialized endothelial cells that line the interior of blood
vessels in the lung.
While it has long been known that mice can regenerate and expand the
capacity of one lung if the other is missing, this study now identifies
molecular triggers behind this process, and the researchers believe these
findings are relevant to humans.
“Several adult human organs have the potential upon injury to regenerate
to a degree, and while we can readily monitor the pathways involved in the
regeneration of liver and bone marrow, it is much more cumbersome to study
the regeneration of other adult organs, such as the lung and heart,” says
the study’s lead investigator, Dr. Shahin Rafii, who is the Arthur B.
Belfer Professor of Genetic Medicine and co-director of the Ansary Stem
Cell Institute at Weill Cornell Medical College.
“It is speculated, but not proven, that humans have the potential to
regenerate their lung alveoli until they can’t anymore, due to smoking,
cancer or other extensive chronic damage,” says Dr. Rafii, who is also an
investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. “Our hope is to take
these findings into the clinic and see if we can induce lung regeneration
in patients who need it, such as those with chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD).”
“There is no effective therapy for patients diagnosed with COPD. Based on
this study, I envision a day when patients with COPD and other chronic
lung diseases may benefit from treatment with factors derived from lung
blood vessels that induce lung regeneration,” states Dr. Ronald G.
Crystal, who is a co-author of this study and professor of pulmonary and
genetic medicine at Weill Cornell.
Dr. Rafii and his researchers had previously uncovered growth factors that
control regeneration in the liver and bone marrow, and in both cases, they
found that endothelial cells produce the key inductive growth factors,
which they defined as “angiocrine factors.” In the current lung study,
they discovered the same phenomenon — that blood vessel cells in the
lungs jump-start regeneration of alveoli. “Blood vessels are not just the
inert plumbing that carries blood. They actively instruct organ
regeneration,” says Dr. Rafii. “This is a critical finding. Each organ
uses different growth factors within its local vascular system to promote
regeneration.”
To conduct this study, Dr. Bi-Sen Ding, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr.
Rafii’s lab and the first author of this paper, removed the left lungs of
mice and studied the biochemical process of subsequent regeneration of the
remaining right lung. Previous pioneering work by Dr. Crystal had shown
that when the left lung of mice is removed, the right lung regenerates by
80 percent, effectively replacing most of the lost alveoli. “This
regeneration process also restores the physiological respiratory function
of the lungs, which is mediated by amplification of various epithelial
progenitor cells and regeneration of the alveolar sacs,” says Dr. Ding.
“This regenerative phenomenon, however, only occurs after a trauma that
abruptly reduces lung mass. Then the specific subsets of blood vessels in
the remaining lung receive a message to start to repopulate alveoli, and
our job was to find that signal,” says Dr. Daniel Nolan, a senior
scientist in this project who developed methods to characterize the lung
blood vessel cells.
The scientists found that removal of the left lung activates receptors on
lung endothelial cells that respond to vascular endothelial growth factor
(VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2). Activation of these
receptors promotes the rise of another protein, matrix
metalloproteinase-14 (MMP14). The researchers discovered that MMP14, by
releasing epidermal growth factors (EGF), initiates the generation of new
lung tissue.
When the investigators disabled receptors of VEGF and FGF-2 specifically
in the endothelial cells of the mice, the right lung would not regenerate.
The defect in the lung regeneration was found to be due to the lack of
MMP14 generation from the blood vessels. Remarkably, when these mice
received an endothelial cell transplant from a normal mouse, the
production of MMP14 was restored, triggering the regeneration of
functional alveoli.
“The recovery of lung function and lung mechanics by transplantation of
endothelial cells that stimulate MMP14 production may be valuable for
designing novel therapies for respiratory disorders,” says Dr. Stefan
Worgall, who helped with the functional lung studies in this project.
“This study will also help us understand mechanisms for repair in the
growing lungs of infants and children,” he adds. Dr. Worgall is associate
professor of pediatrics and genetic medicine and distinguished associate
professor of pediatric pulmonology.
Given MMP14′s role, Dr. Rafii classifies it as a crucial “angiocrine”
signal — a lung endothelial specific growth factor responsible for
alveolar regeneration. Dr. Rafii’s team also seeks to reveal the
initiation signals resulting in the activation of lung blood vessels.
“Changes in local blood flow and biomechanical forces in the remaining
lung after removal of the left lung could certainly be one of the
initiation cues that induce endothelial activation,” says Dr. Sina
Rabbany, who is a co-senior author of this study and a professor of
bioengineering at Hofstra University and adjunct associate professor of
genetic medicine and bioengineering in medicine at Weill Cornell.
The researchers will next determine if MMP14 and other as-yet unrecognized
angiocrine factors are responsible for lung regeneration in humans as well
as mice. “We believe the same process goes on in humans, although we have
no direct evidence yet,” says Dr. Ding. The study’s authors theorize that
patients with COPD (a disorder most often caused by chronic smoking) have
so much damage to their lung endothelial cells that they no longer produce
the proper inductive signals. “We know
smoking damages lungs, but lungs may continue to regenerate alveoli,” says
Dr. Koji Shido, a co-author of this study. “But at certain point,
significant injury to the endothelial cells could impair their capacity to
support lung regeneration.”
“Perhaps replacement of angiocrine factors, or transplantation of normal
lung endothelial cells derived from pluripotent stem cells, could restore
lung regeneration” speculates Dr. Zev Rosenwaks, who is the director of
the Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine
at Weill Cornell, and a co-author of this study. “Currently, we are
generating pluripotent stem cells derived from patients with genetic
pulmonary disorders to identify potential pathways, which may ultimately
enhance our understanding of how lung endothelial cells may improve lung
function in these patients.”

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/236793.php

WISE Study for sarcoidosis

Posted on December 28th, 2011 by admin

WISE, an online survey for individuals affected
by sarcoidosis, is being conducted by investigators at
The University of Iowa to better understand the disease

and its impact on a global scale.

If you are living with sarcoidosis, or know somebody who does, we urge you to share

your experience with us. Please register by visiting
www.sarcoidstudy.org today.

Once registered, you may fill out the online

questionnaires at your convenience.

Asthma and EPA

Posted on December 27th, 2011 by admin

Statement of Bill McLin, President and CEO, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) Commending the Environmental Protection Agency for Adopting the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Rule

December 21, 2011

On behalf of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), I commend the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its action announced today implementing the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule. For the 20 million Americans with asthma – including 6.7 million children for whom breathing without thinking is not so routine and, who are more likely to sleep poorly at night and miss work or school by day – the content of the air they breathe is top of mind. This rule will set the first national safeguard that limits power plant emissions of mercury, arsenic and other toxic substances that burden the health of our children and communities. This new rule will help protect the health of those most at risk: children, teens, seniors, and people with chronic lung diseases like asthma. According to the EPA, the new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Rule will prevent an estimated 17,000 premature deaths and 11,000 heart attacks, in addition to eliminating 120,000 incidents of asthma symptoms and 11,000 cases of acute bronchitis in children each year.

We recognize that some critics cite adverse economic impacts of tighter standards. However, this new rule will not only avoid lost wages for patients and parents of children with asthma, lost productivity for the companies that employ them, and increased hospital admissions. It will also create 31,000 construction jobs and 9,000 long-term utility jobs while increasing the demand for investments in energy efficiency and clean technology.

The economic burden of asthma and other respiratory diseases, cancers and cardiovascular diseases are borne by taxpayers via Medicare and Medicaid, and are being borne by corporations who employ these Americans, pay the costs of health insurance for them and their children, and lose productivity when they are sick or caring for their chronically ill loved ones.

AAFA believes that this EPA action is the right step to help keep Americans with asthma safe and healthy.

(AAFA is an independent, not-for-profit voluntary health agency dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with asthma and allergies. AAFA was founded in 1953 by the two leading professional medical organizations in the United States devoted to the allergy/immunology specialty.)

Why you need to exercise with lung disease

Posted on May 8th, 2011 by admin

Effects of pulmonary rehabilitation on quality of life in chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

Moullec G, Laurin C, Lavoie KL, Ninot G.

Montreal Behavioural Medicine Centre, Canada.

Abstract

PURPOSE OF REVIEW:

Pulmonary rehabilitation plays a key role in the management of
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although the American
Thoracic Society recently provided a grade of 1A for evidence of
health-related quality of life (HRQoL) benefits related to pulmonary
rehabilitation, knowledge about the psychological and behavioral
processes explaining the impact of pulmonary rehabilitation on HRQoL
in COPD patients remains limited. This review describes the state of
knowledge over the past year concerning HRQoL benefits after
pulmonary rehabilitation and suggests avenues for future research.

RECENT FINDINGS:

HRQoL outcomes related to pulmonary rehabilitation explores five
themes: optimizing pulmonary rehabilitation components to improve
HRQoL; characterization of a responder phenotype; suitability of
pulmonary rehabilitation following acute exacerbations; exploration
of psychological and behavioral mechanisms explaining pulmonary
rehabilitation benefits; and long-term maintenance of HRQoL benefits
after pulmonary rehabilitation.

SUMMARY:

Evidence supports the use of pulmonary rehabilitation to improve
HRQoL in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD. However, it is
unclear how pulmonary rehabilitation improves HRQoL and which
characteristics confer the greatest HRQoL benefits. Moreover, most
studies failed to provide a compelling theoretical rationale for the
intervention employed. Future research should focus on improving the
understanding of the psychological mechanisms implicated in the
adoption and maintenance of healthy behavior.

PMID: 21206273

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21206273

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