Lung Surfactant System and Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Current: Anna Gaffney
Alumni: Benjamin Slaw, Kathleen Cao, Luka Pocivavsek, Shelli Frey

A wide variety of diseases are results of deficient or abnormal protein-lipid interactions. The elucidation of the interactions between specific proteins and lipids, and the ability to examine and manipulate biomembranes that mimic real life systems hold the key to a better understanding of these diseases. Our research interests lie in the interdisciplinary area which can be termed as “interfacial medicine”. Using two-dimensional monolayers, either at the air-water interface or transferred onto solid substrates, and supported bilayers as model systems, along with various microscopy and scattering techniques, we plan to carry out fundamental studies on the interactions between lipids and proteins to gain insights into the biophysical aspects of these diseases. One such diseases of interest is listed below.

A complex mixture of lipids and proteins, known as lung surfactant, forms monolayers at the alveolar air-water interface. The surfactant lowers the surface tension to near zero, and is responsible for reducing the work of breathing. A lack of surfactant, either due to immaturity in premature infants or disease or trauma in adults, can lead to Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS). In spite of the serious morbidity and mortality of the disease, a firm understanding of the role of surfactant in both normal and diseased lungs is still lacking. My group is interested in developing a detailed structure-function relationship for the various components of lung surfactant. In particular, we will examine the phase behavior of various mixtures of lung surfactant components, as well as the interactions between lung surfactant specific proteins and the surrounding lipid matrix. We will explore the effect of lung surfactant proteins on monolayer surfactant. The knowledge gained from this should lead to an understanding of the morphological consequences of monolayer phase separation and collapse, which is necessary for the continued development of positive interventions for patients suffering from RDS.