Ruud Veldhuizen

The main focus of research in my laboratory is the effect of mechanical ventilation of the lung on the pulmonary surfactant system and on inflammatory cytokines. Mechanical ventilation is a essential supportive therapy for patients with acute lung injury. However, in recent years it has become apparent that mechanical ventilation can also damage the lung. This had let to the predicament of requiring the use of a potentially harmful intervention in patients with acute lung injury. The objective of my research is to elucidate some of the processes involved in the development and/or propogation of lung injury due to mechanical ventilation. By understanding how lung injury occurs we may be able to develop therapies aimed at preventing this complication. Two of the factors that are thought to be involved in mediating the harmful effects of mechanical ventilation are alterations of the pulmonary surfactant system and increases in inflammatory mediators within the lung. Research in the lab utilize animal models of ventilation induced lung injury to study how these two processes are related and how they contribute to lung dysfunction. These experiments involve the initial animal experiments with physiological assessments and subsequent biochemical, histological and molecular biological analyses. Other research interest include; pulmonary surfactant subtype conversion, alterations of pulmonary surfactant in acute respiratory distress syndrome, the use of surfactant supplementation for the treatment of acute respiratory Distress Syndrome and pulmonary surfactant in lung transplantation. Most of these studies are done in collaboration with Drs Lewis, Possmayer and Novick.