Rhinovirus impairs physiological and immunological lung development and causes exacerbation of allergic airways disease (2011-2013)
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that rhinovirus (RV) infections account for ~90% of asthma exacerbations. As such, the morbidity, mortality and economic burdens associated with RV are enormous, yet our understanding of RV-induced disease is incomplete and there are no effective treatments. A recently developed mouse model of RV, which we will combine with mouse models of allergic sensitization, will allow us to directly investigate the effects of RV infection on physiological and immunological respiratory system development. We hypothesize that early life RV infection impairs physiological and immunological lung growth and development, disrupts antigen presenting cell (APC) function and thus results in exacerbation of allergic airways disease.
