Human alveolar lining fluid from the elderly promotes Mycobacterium tuberculosis intracellular growth and translocation into the cytosol of alveolar epithelial cells.

The elderly population is highly susceptible to developing respiratory diseases, including tuberculosis, a devastating disease caused by the airborne pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) that kills one person every 18 seconds. Once M.

Exposure of to human alveolar lining fluid shows temporal and strain-specific adaptation to the lung environment.

Unlabelled: Upon infection, ( ) reaches the alveolar space and comes in close contact with human alveolar lining fluid (ALF) for an uncertain period of time prior to its encounter with alveolar cells. We showed that homeostatic ALF hydrolytic enzymes modify the cell envelope, driving -host cell interactions. Still, the contribution of ALF during infection is poorly understood.

A new tractable method for generating human alveolar macrophage-like cells to study lung inflammatory processes and diseases.

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are unique lung resident cells that contact airborne pathogens and environmental particulates. The contribution of human AMs (HAMs) to pulmonary diseases remains poorly understood due to the difficulty in accessing them from human donors and their rapid phenotypic change during culture. Thus, there remains an unmet need for cost-effective methods for generating and/or differentiating primary cells into a HAM phenotype, particularly important for translational and clinical studies.

A new tractable method for generating Human Alveolar Macrophage Like cells in vitro to study lung inflammatory processes and diseases.

Unlabelled: Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are unique lung resident cells that contact airborne pathogens and environmental particulates. The contribution of human AMs (HAM) to pulmonary diseases remains poorly understood due to difficulty in accessing them from human donors and their rapid phenotypic change during culture. Thus, there remains an unmet need for cost-effective methods for generating and/or differentiating primary cells into a HAM phenotype, particularly important for translational and clinical studies.

The Aging Human Lung Mucosa: A Proteomics Study.

The older adult population, estimated to double by 2050, is at increased risk of respiratory infections and other pulmonary diseases. Biochemical changes in the lung alveolar lining fluid (ALF) and in alveolar compartment cells can alter local immune responses as we age, generating opportunities for invading pathogens to establish successful infections. Indeed, the lung alveolar space of older adults is a pro-inflammatory, pro-oxidative, dysregulated environment that remains understudied.

Host- and Age-Dependent Transcriptional Changes in Cell Envelope Biosynthesis Genes after Exposure to Human Alveolar Lining Fluid.

Tuberculosis (TB) infection, caused by the airborne pathogen (), resulted in almost 1.4 million deaths in 2019, and the number of deaths is predicted to increase by 20% over the next 5 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon reaching the alveolar space, comes into close contact with the lung mucosa before and after its encounter with host alveolar compartment cells.

Host- and age-dependent transcriptional changes in cell envelope biosynthesis genes after exposure to human alveolar lining fluid.

Tuberculosis (TB) infection, caused by the airborne pathogen ( . ), resulted in almost 1.4 million deaths in 2019 and the number of deaths is predicted to increase by 20% over the next 5 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Safety and Tolerability Study of Thin Film Freeze-Dried Tacrolimus for Local Pulmonary Drug Delivery in Human Subjects.

Due to the low and erratic bioavailability of oral tacrolimus (TAC), the long-term survival rate following lung transplantation remained low compared to other solid organs. TAC was reformulated and developed as inhaled formulations by thin film freezing (TFF). Previous studies reported that inhaled TAC combined with 50% lactose (LAC) was safe and effective for the treatment of lung transplant rejection in rodent models.

In COPD, prophylactic macrolides, but not tetracyclines or quinolones, reduce exacerbations, with fewer serious adverse events.

Janjua S, Mathioudakis AG, Fortescue R, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021;1:CD013198.

Niclosamide inhalation powder made by thin-film freezing: Multi-dose tolerability and exposure in rats and pharmacokinetics in hamsters.

In this work, we have developed and tested a dry powder form of niclosamide made by thin-film freezing (TFF) and administered it by inhalation to rats and hamsters to gather data about its toxicology and pharmacokinetics. Niclosamide, a poorly water-soluble drug, is an interesting drug candidate because it was approved over 60 years ago for use as an anthelmintic medication, but recent studies demonstrated its potential as a broad-spectrum antiviral with pharmacological effect against SARS-CoV-2 infection. TFF was used to develop a niclosamide inhalation powder composition that exhibited acceptable aerosol performance with a fine particle fraction (FPF) of 86.

Quality of the discussion of asthma on twitter.

Patients obtain a large amount of medical information online. Much of this information may not be reliable or of high quality. We investigated what influences the discussion of asthma on Twitter by evaluating the most popular tweets and the quality of the links shared.

Inhaled nanoparticles-An updated review.

We are providing an update to our previously published review paper on inhaled nanoparticles, thus updating with the most recent reports in the literature. The field of nanotechnology may hold the promise of significant improvements in the health and well-being of patients, as well as in manufacturing technologies. The knowledge of the impact of nanomaterials on public health is limited so far.

In spontaneous pneumothorax, initial needle aspiration and large- and narrow-bore chest tubes do not differ for success.

Mummadi SR, de Longpre' J, Hahn PY. Ann Emerg Med. 2020;76:88-102.

COVID-19 in a Hispanic Woman.

Since making its debut on the global stage in December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has afflicted nearly 4 million people and caused hundreds of thousands of deaths. Case reports and case series depicting the clinical effects of the causative virus-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-have been published, yet few demonstrate the cytopathologic alterations of this disease. We present a clinical-pathologic correlation report of a previously healthy Hispanic woman with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 who had typical features of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and also showed cardiac abnormalities thought to represent fulminant viral myocarditis.

Successful management of fibrosing mediastinitis with severe vascular compromise: Report of two cases and literature review.

Fibrosing mediastinitis is a rare disorder characterized by the invasive proliferation of fibrous tissue within the mediastinum. This fibrosis can result in compression of intrathoracic structures including the pulmonary vasculature leading to clinical symptoms and complications like pulmonary hypertension. Here, we present two cases of young patients with fibrosing mediastinitis complicated by pulmonary artery stenosis requiring medical and endovascular management with excellent results.

Long-term evaluation of response to omalizumab therapy in real life by a novel multimodular approach: The Real-life Effectiveness of Omalizumab Therapy (REALITY) study.

Background: The evidence on long-term real-life response measures to omalizumab therapy in moderate to severe asthma is limited. A universal assessment tool is needed to adequately evaluate response to omalizumab in these patients.

Objective: To design a multimodular response assessment tool and use it to measure and define response to omalizumab therapy in real-world settings.

The Lung Mucosa Environment in the Elderly Increases Host Susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection.

As we age, there is an increased risk for the development of tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection. Few studies consider that age-associated changes in the alveolar lining fluid (ALF) may increase susceptibility by altering soluble mediators of innate immunity. We assessed the impact of adult or elderly human ALF during Mtb infection in vitro and in vivo.

Benralizumab, an add-on treatment for severe eosinophilic asthma: evaluation of exacerbations, emergency department visits, lung function, and oral corticosteroid use.

There are now multiple monoclonal antibodies targeting different inflammatory pathways of severe asthma. Benralizumab is a recently approved monoclonal antibody indicated for the treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma by targeting a subunit of the IL-5 receptor. Treatment with benralizumab results in significant reductions of blood and tissue eosinophils.

The Role of Inhalation Delivery Devices in COPD: Perspectives of Patients and Health Care Providers.

Inhaled medications form the foundation of pharmacologic treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).The Delivery Makes a Difference (DMaD) project was conducted to better understand health care provider (HCP) and patient perspectives about the role of inhalation delivery devices in COPD, and to examine the nature of educational efforts between HCPs and patients on proper device technique. Data were derived from 2 original quantitative, web-based, descriptive, cross-sectional surveys distributed to HCPs who manage COPD (n=513) and patients with COPD (n=499) in the United States.

Clinical Approach to the Therapy of Asthma-COPD Overlap.

Over the last few years, there has been a renewed interest in patients with characteristics of both asthma and COPD. Although the precise definition of asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) is still controversial, patients with overlapping features are frequently encountered in clinical practice, and may indeed have worse clinical outcomes and increased health-care utilization than those with asthma or COPD. Therefore, there is a critical need to set a framework for the therapeutic approach of such patients.