A Multidisciplinary Approach to Understand COPD Etiology, Heterogeneity, and Pathobiology to Improve Diagnosis, Prognosis and Treatment
COPD is a progressive lung disorder affecting more than 10 million Americans and millions more worldwide, where it is currently the third-leading cause of death.
Long-term exposure to lung irritants, with cigarette smoking as the dominant environmental risk factor, predisposes to COPD, but the response to irritants is highly variable. COPD is also a heterogeneous syndrome that includes destruction of the lung parenchyma (emphysema) and/or damage to small airways.
Current Research
Channing Division of Network Medicine (CDNM) investigators have built a comprehensive research strategy to:
- Study the epidemiology and progression of COPD
- Identify the genetic determinants of COPD
- Define key pathobiological mechanisms influencing COPD susceptibility and heterogeneity
We apply a multidisciplinary approach to understand COPD etiology, heterogeneity, and pathobiology to improve diagnosis and prognosis, and to develop therapeutics for treatment.