Jennifer Lynn Larson-Casey, PhD
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Research Project:
How Air Pollution Accelerates Progression of Pulmonary Fibrosis
Grant Awarded:
- Hastings Innovation Award for Interstitial Lung Disease
Research Topics:
- air pollution
- combination therapies experimental therapeutics
- immunology immunotherapy
- public health
- risk factors
Research Diseases:
- interstitial lung disease
- occupational lung disease
- pulmonary fibrosis
Pulmonary fibrosis, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), is a progressive lung disease with a median survival of three years. Many people with IPF experience sudden worsening of their disease that is associated with breathing problems and can be deadly. People with respiratory diseases can become sicker when exposed to air pollutants. One type of air pollutant, fine particulate matter, is known to contribute to lung injury and increases illness and death in people with pulmonary fibrosis. Monocytes, a type of immune cell in the lung, play a role in fibrosis progression by increasing scar formation. Our studies indicate that inflammatory monocytes promote scar formation in mice after exposure to fine particulate matter. We will determine the ways in which air pollution accelerates the progression of pulmonary fibrosis and identify a potential therapeutic target to slow or stop the progression of IPF.
Hastings Innovation Award for Interstitial Lung Disease
Page last updated: October 29, 2025
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