[LIRR Roster]

The Lung Injury, Repair, and Remodeling [LIRR] Study Section reviews applications that focus on the mechanisms of lung injury, repair, and remodeling in non-vascular pulmonary tissue or cells.  The scope of the studies to be reviewed by LIRR includes genetic susceptibility, molecular biology, cell culture, tissue, organ and animal models, and human investigations.  Among the mechanistic processes considered are cellular processes including signal transduction, control of gene expression, cell cycle/cell death mediators, normal and abnormal function of pulmonary cell populations (including leukocytes), proteolytic mechanisms, and receptors.  Integrative processes include inflammation, cell trafficking, host defense, injury caused by reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and by hypoxia, cell-cell interactions, regulation of extracellular matrix, lung metabolism (xenobiotic bioactivation and drug detoxification), effects of particles and gases on lung cells, and effects of blood components such as coagulation factors and complement.

Specific areas covered by LIRR:

• Environmental and occupational lung diseases and inhalation and respiratory toxicology.
  
  
• Lung injury, including acute lung injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and ventilator-induced lung injury. This would include studies addressing airway and alveolar epithelial injury; leukocyte contributions to lung injury, normal and abnormal lung permeability; surfactant and secretions, and mechanisms of resolution, repair, and remodeling, including angiogenesis.
  
  
• Pleural diseases, including infections, dysplasias, hyperplasias and other non-malignant proliferative disorders, and inflammatory processes.
  
  
• Neonatal and pediatric lung diseases including hyaline membrane disease, meconium aspiration syndromes, pneumonia, and chronic lung disease and studies of lung development which are directly relevant to neonatal and pediatric lung diseases.
  
  
• Fibrosis and interstitial lung diseases, including granulomatous diseases (such as sarcoidosis), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial pneumonias, autoimmune lung diseases, and lymphangioleiomyomatosis.
  
  
• Respiratory infections and host defense, including pneumonia and airway infections caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, mycobacteria.
  
  
• Lung fluid balance including epithelial (ion channels, aquaporins, etc.), interstitium, and lymphatic function and pulmonary edema, when not primarily restricted to the pulmonary vasculature.

LIRR has the following shared interests within the RES IRG:

• With Lung Cellular, Molecular and Immunobiology [LCMI]:LCMI and LIRR have shared interests in immunity, inflammation, injury, repair and remodeling, which may include studies on asthma and COPD. Basic mechanisms of innate or adaptive immunity should be reviewed by LCMI, while respiratory responses to infection will be considered by LIRR. Basic mechanisms and immunobiology of asthma should be considered by LCMI, whereas occupational asthma can be reviewed by LIRR.  Inflammation in non-vascular, pulmonary tissue, as it is involved with lung injury, repair and remodeling, should be referred to LIRR.  Studies of lung secretions relevant to acute lung injury and repair should be reviewed by LIRR. Studies that include repair and remodeling or infections in asthma and COPD may be assigned according to the central interests of the application.  There is also a shared interest between LCMI and LIRR concerning fibroblasts, myofibroblasts, leukocytes, and epithelial cells.  Studies of these cells relating to lung injury, repair, and remodeling should be reviewed by LIRR.  Angiogenesis, when part of lung injury or lung repair, would be considered by LIRR.  Mediator/cytokine studies may be assigned to the three study sections in the IRG based on their disease focus.
• With Respiratory Integrative Biology and Translational Research [RIBT]: In general, clinical studies involving interventions for respiratory disease should be reviewed by RIBT. Complications of COPD involving the chest wall and respiratory muscle mechanics should be assigned to RIBT.  Diagnosis and assessment of disability of all lung diseases should be assigned to RIBT.  Physiologic studies of the airways and lung mechanics should go to RIBT.  Applications focused on the coordinated development of the multiple systems that make up the respiratory complex in normal and pathological states will be considered by RIBT, while studies of lung development directly relating to neonatal and pediatric lung diseases and lung injury should be assigned to LIRR.  In general, studies of normal and abnormal pulmonary cell vascular biology, and of the bronchial circulation, may be referred to RIBT, unless the studies also have a large non-vascular component, in which case LIRR is more appropriate. Included in this rubric would be studies involving coagulation factors and complement.  Lung inflammation, when pulmonary vascular tissue is primarily involved, would be reviewed by RIBT; studies of inflammation primarily involving non-vascular tissues may be referred to LIRR.  Basic studies related to particle deposition and distribution will be reviewed by RIBT, whereas such investigations, when directly related to pulmonary injury of non-vascular tissues, would be considered by LIRR.

LIRR has the following shared interests outside the RES IRG:

• With the Cell Biology [CB] IRG: There is shared interest in cell functions and interactions.  In general, studies related to cell function and interactions in respiratory injury, repair, and remodeling would be assigned to LIRR.  Other studies in which the respiratory system is not the principal focus could be assigned to the CB IRG.
• With the Genes, Genomes & Genetics [GGG] IRG:  There is shared interest in the regulation of gene expression and fundamental genetics. Studies related to gene expression in respiratory injury, repair, and remodeling may be assigned to LIRR.  If the studies propose to use genetic and genomic approaches to identify and characterize genes, but the major focus is outside of the respiratory system, then the GGG IRG could be the appropriate assignment.  Studies of quantitative genetics, genetic epidemiology and genetic analysis of complex traits, and genetically engineered animals with an emphasis on genetics rather than pulmonary biology may be assigned to the GGG IRG.
• With the Biology of Development and Aging [BDA] IRG:  Applications that focus on development (such as fundamental studies of cell cycle control, apoptosis, cell fate, or early primordial pattern formation) would be assigned to the BDA IRG.  In general, when the question being addressed is germane to the development of more than a single organ system, either because it addresses the "primordial organ" or because of the generality of the process being studied, the application would also be assigned to the BDA IRG. Studies related to development and aging as they impact on respiratory injury, repair, and remodeling may be assigned to. 
  
  
• With the Bioengineering Sciences and Technologies [BST] IRG: Studies of the use of the respiratory system as a platform for gene delivery for non-pulmonary diseases may be assigned to the BST IRG.  Application of gene delivery technologies when it is specific for inherited and acquired lung disorders may be more appropriate for LCMI or LIRR.  Development of novel technologies may also be assigned to the BST IRG.
• With the Immunology [IMM] IRG:  There is shared interest in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. In general, studies of multi-systemic diseases with incidental involvement of the lungs would be assigned to the IMM IRG, while applications focusing on the respiratory system would be assigned to LIRR. 
• With the Infectious Diseases and Microbiology [IDM] IRG:  There is shared interest in host defense and microbial pathogenesis. Studies of infection and host defense would in general be assigned to LIRR if it results in lung disease. Studies of basic mechanisms of host defense and microbial pathogenesis would be assigned to the IDM IRG.  Applications focusing on pulmonary injury as a result of exposure to a bio-terrorist agent could be assigned to LIRR.  If the respiratory system is the portal of entry for such agents, assignment to LIRR may also be considered.
  
  
• With the AIDS and Related Research [AARR] IRG:  There is shared interest in HIV and opportunistic infections associated with HIV.  The AARR IRG should review applications where the lung is involved in pathophysiologic responses to HIV or subject to opportunistic infections associated with HIV.  Other opportunistic infections may be appropriately assigned to LIRR. 
• With the Oncological Sciences [ONC] IRG:  There is shared interest in the pathogenesis of lung cancer. In general, studies of diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and epidemiology of lung cancer would be assigned to the ONC IRG. Applications focusing on dysplasia and hyperplasia derived from environmental or occupational lung exposure should be considered by LIRR.
• With the Hematology [HEME] IRG:  There is shared interest in cell trafficking. Studies focusing on cell migration in and through the lungs may be assigned to LIRR.  Other studies in which the respiratory system is not the principal focus would be assigned to the HEME IRG. 
  
  
• With the Endocrinology, Metabolism, Nutrition and Reproductive Sciences [EMNR] IRG:There is shared interest in fetal and neonatal lung responses to injury.  Fetal and neonatal lung diseases and disorders may be assigned to LIRR except when they relate to the maintenance of pregnancy or fetal well-being, in which case the application may be assigned to the EMNR IRG.
• With the Digestive Sciences [DIG] IRG:  There is shared interest in the disposition (absorption, metabolism, distribution, and excretion) of chemicals, including xenobiotics such as pro-drugs and drugs, biopharmaceutical agents, and other non-drug chemicals, and the study of their mechanisms of action (both pharmacological and toxicological) in normal and pathological conditions.  Studies that address the effects of digestive system-generated metabolites of xenobiotics or the absorption and excretion of xenobiotics by the digestive system may be assigned to the DIG IRG.  Applications that address the metabolism and disposition of xenobiotics in the lung may be assigned to LIRR.  Environmental and occupational lung diseases (including interstitial lung diseases and asthma induced by environmental agents) and inhalation and respiratory toxicology, including the effects of particles and gases on lung cells, may also be assigned to LIRR.
• With the Surgical Sciences, Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering [SBIB] IRG:  There is shared interest in acute lung injury. Surgical approaches to lung diseases could be assigned to the SBIB IRG.  The SBIB IRG could consider sepsis, trauma, and multi-system organ dysfunction in which lung injury is incidental.  The responses of the respiratory system to trauma, surgery, or other physiologic stress could be assigned to LIRR.