The Pulmonary Mechanics Laboratory is focused on the development of new devices and new treatments for lung disease. In recent years we have invented unique devices for the delivery of aerosolized medications to the intubated patient supported by mechanical ventilation as well as the spontaneously breathing patient with severe lung disease. In collaboration with Dr. Lucy Palmer our group has developed inhaled antibiotics to treat respiratory infection in the intubated critically ill patient in the intensive care unit[1-3]. We have an equal commitment to create new therapies for pulmonary fibrosis and tuberculosis. In collaboration with colleagues at New York University we have successfully delivered inhaled interferon gamma, a potential antifibrotic agent and pro inflammatory cytokine stimulating cellular immunity to human subjects with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis[4-6] and tuberculosis[7-9]. Another line of work involves protection from inhaled particles such as respiratory fomites and infectious aerosols. We have studied better ways to understand methods of protection using surgical masks in the workplace; designing better algorithms for caregiver protection[10] and more efficient surgical facemasks[11].
[1] L.B. Palmer, G.C. Smaldone, Reduction of bacterial resistance with inhaled antibiotics in the intensive care unit, Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 189 (2014) 1225-1233.
[2] L.B. Palmer, G.C. Smaldone, J.J. Chen, D. Baram, T. Duan, M. Monteforte, M. Varela, A.K. Tempone, T. O'Riordan, F. Daroowalla, P. Richman, Aerosolized antibiotics and ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis in the intensive care unit, Crit Care Med, 36 (2008) 2008-2013.
[3] L.B. Palmer, G.C. Smaldone, S.R. Simon, T.G. O'Riordan, A. Cuccia, Aerosolized antibiotics in mechanically ventilated patients: delivery and response, Crit Care Med, 26 (1998) 31-39.
[4] K.T. Diaz, S. Skaria, K. Harris, M. Solomita, S. Lau, K. Bauer, G.C. Smaldone, R. Condos, Delivery and safety of inhaled interferon-gamma in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv, 25 (2012) 79-87.
[5] S.D. Skaria, J. Yang, R. Condos, G.C. Smaldone, Inhaled Interferon and Diffusion Capacity in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis, 32 (2015) 37-42.
[6] J. Wang, M. Lesko, M. Badri, B. Kapoor, B. Wu, Y. Li, G. Smaldone, R. Bonneau, Z. Kurtz, R. Condos, L. Segal, Lung microbiome and host immune tone in subjects with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis treated with inhaled interferon-γ, ERJ Open Research, (2017).
[7] R. Condos, F.P. Hull, N.W. Schluger, W.N. Rom, G.C. Smaldone, Regional deposition of aerosolized interferon-gamma in pulmonary tuberculosis, Chest, 125 (2004) 2146-2155.
[8] R. Condos, W.N. Rom, N.W. Schluger, Treatment of multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis with interferon-gamma via aerosol, Lancet, 349 (1997) 1513-1515.
[9] R. Dawson, R. Condos, D. Tse, M.L. Huie, S. Ress, C.H. Tseng, C. Brauns, M. Weiden, Y. Hoshino, E. Bateman, W.N. Rom, Immunomodulation with recombinant interferon-gamma1b in pulmonary tuberculosis, PloS one, 4 (2009) e6984.
[10] R.B. Patel, S.D. Skaria, M.M. Mansour, G.C. Smaldone, Respiratory source control using a surgical mask: An in vitro study, J Occup Environ Hyg, 13 (2016) 569-576.
[11] S.D. Skaria, G.C. Smaldone, Respiratory source control using surgical masks with nanofiber media, Ann Occup Hyg, 58 (2014) 771-781.
