The proposed studies directly address a significant area in the category of Respiratory Health.

A variety of lung diseases such as emphysema, infections, and lung cancers as well as lung injury from trauma, including battlefield trauma, and complications of respirator life support of critically ill patients in intensive care units can result in lung collapse that can be immediately life-threatening or result in chronic leaking of air or fluid out of the lung. These remain challenging medical problems for which few good options are currently available and result in significant morbidity, mortality, hospital stays, healthcare costs, and other complications. New options are thus desperately needed.

We are developing a novel approach to provide an easy-to-apply lung sealant that can repair lung leaks. This involves use of a modified form of alginate, a naturally occurring seaweed derivative, increasingly being explored for a variety of biomedical applications. Particular attributes include easy availability, low cost, easy use, biodegradability, and lack of significant toxicity. However, chemically modified alginate materials have not been previously evaluated or utilized as a lung sealant. In addition, alginate materials have not been investigated for use as an artificial pleural coating, which naturally lines the lungs to prevent air and/or fluid from leaking out of healthy lungs. Thus, this is a simple and powerful new potential approach for treating acute and chronic lung injuries.

The proposed studies will further explore the use of alginate-based lung sealants (i.e., artificial pleural coatings) in animal models and will provide a firm foundation for subsequent clinical trials in a range of lung diseases and lung injuries.