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Cell Signaling Underlying The Pathophysiology Of Pneumonia
Sponsored by the APS Respiration Section

Current research addresses the burgeoning interest in understanding fundamental alveolo-capillary mechanisms underlying the onset of pneumonia.  Bacteria exploit the lung’s innate immune mechanism, resulting in pathophysiological cell signaling.  As a consequence inflammation develops, leading to pneumonia.  Till recently, nothing mush was known about these processes.  However, new research has identified mechanisms by which bacteria or bacterial products in the airway induce alveolo-capillary crosstalk signaling that leads to inflammatory consequences.  The speakers will address these issues in the context of S. aureus protein A (Prince, Nat Med. 2004; 10:842-8), cytokine receptors (Mizgerd, Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2004;286:L1302-10), P. aeruginosa exotoxin (Wiener-Kronish, EMBO J. 2003;22:2959-69),  and Ca²⁺-induced mechanisms (Bhattacharya, J. Clin. Invest. 2003. 111:691-699).  These issues are at the cutting edge of our understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying lung inflammation and will be presented for the very first time as a symposium.  Each presentation of 25 min will be followed by 5 min of discussion. We expect the symposium to be of widespread interest.