Pediatric Pulmonology
The Division of Pediatric Pulmonology is part of the Department of Pediatrics in the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Health System/Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital. The Division is a large, multidisciplinary group focused on the pathogenesis and therapy of lung diseases that affect children, especially cystic fibrosis, asthma and pulmonary hemosiderosis.
A major strength of the Pulmonary Division is our basic science research to improve our understanding of cystic fibrosis and other pulmonary diseases. Studies are active in the areas of salt transport across the cells that line the airways, inflammation in the lung, the genetic influences on lung disease, the structure of mucins, and the effect of toxins in the lung. The division has special interest in identifying treatments that can modify the diseases we study, including anti-inflammatory agents and gene therapy. The division supports an extensive animal core facility that provides animal models of disease to our own investigators and others at other institutions, as well as fluorescent microscopy facilities that allow live cells to be examined over time under the microscope. In addition, there is a strong component of patient-based research in cystic fibrosis, asthma, and the effects of mold and environmental agents on the lung. Much of the work focuses on defining and reducing inflammation in the developing lung. In addition, the division tests candidate therapeutic approaches to disease, some of them developed in our own basic science laboratories. Some of our investigators also study population trends in the very large data bases that have been built in this division over the years.
We provide a comprehensive clinical service for a referral population that covers the northeastern, as well as western and southern counties in Ohio. The service includes an inpatient care and consultation service and outpatient care on-site and at our satellite offices in Mayfield, Westlake, Strongsville, and Youngstown. We care for adult and pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis in a multidisciplinary CF clinic by doctors who lead the search for new treatments of this disease. Our CF clinic is supported by nurses, respiratory therapists, nutritionists, and social workers. Many of our patients with CF return to the Center from out of state. The Asthma Center provides consultative services to patients with asthma and their physicians, and can assume ongoing care of such patients by mutual agreement with the referring physician. All other lung diseases of childhood are also served in our clinics and inpatient services.
We recently opened a new state-of-the art cystic fibrosis and asthma facility , The KC and Ginny Bryan Pulmonary Diagnostic Center at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital/University Hospitals of Cleveland. Funding for this facility was made possible by a generous donation from the Brown Family. This facility focuses on noninvasive testing of lung function and biochemistry, and provides both clinical support services and support for patient-based research.
An important part of our mission is the training of young physicians and scientists, both in clinical pediatric pulmonology and in the basic sciences in our labs.
More details on all these programs are available at the links above. Visit us often!
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