Mast Cell Products as Biomarkers for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
- Detailed Technology Description
- This inventionprovides a method of identifying and predicting the onset of bronchopulmonarydysplasia (BPD), also known as chronic lung disease of prematurity, involvingassays or screens of airway and/or lung epithelial surface fluids includingcondensates for mast cell biomarkers.
- Others
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- American Thoracic Society International Conference Abstracts: Mast Cells in Chronic Lung Disease of Prematurity. May 2013.
- Mast Cells in Chronic Lung Disease of Prematurity. Manuscript submitted.
- *Abstract
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Bronchopulmonarydysplasia (BPD) is a lung disease of the premature infant, characterized byarrested alveolar development and impaired lung function. Nearly 500,000 babies are born prematurelyeach year in the United States or 1 in 8 births. Unfortunately, while highlevels of oxygen supplementation is a necessary life sustaining measure intreating premature birth, oxygen toxicity adversely and permanently affects thelung, an organ that requires complete gestation for normal development. Currentstrategies to reduce the incidence of respiratory distress and chronic scarringof the airways associated with BPD focus on medications and respiratory caretherapy. The clinical picture has created a multibillion dollar a year domestichealthcare problem, which does not include efforts at prevention.
Cornellinventors discovered that mast cells played a significant role in thepathogenesis of BPD. Their studies inmice showed that neonatal hyperoxia caused an increase in the lung mast cellpopulation, an enlargement of the airspaces and an increase in lung compliancecharacteristic of an emphysematous phenotype. Analysis of the lung fluid inmice exposed to high oxygen levels at birth showed an increase in the mast cellmediators, β-hexosaminidase (β-hex), a mast cell specific enzyme, histamine andelastase compared to room air controls. Further, mast-cell-deficiency wasprotective and prevents BPD in the murine model.
Clinical data onmechanically ventilated pre-term infants showed that mast cell markers werepresent in tracheal aspirate fluids. The levels of β-hex correlated with theamount of supplemental oxygen required at the day of tracheal aspiratecollection and were higher in tracheal aspirates of infants that subsequentlydeveloped BPD.
These studiesdemonstrate that mast cell mediators can be used as disease-associatedbiomarkers of BPD.
PotentialApplications
Identifying and predicting BPD in clinicalsetting permitting early intervention for attenuating disease development andseverity
Advantages
Early identification of BPD may facilitate prevention,early intervention and improve patient quality of life
- *Licensing
- Dan-Oscar Antsonda429@cornell.edu212-746-1297
- Country/Region
- USA
