“Collapse and Recovery of Lung Surfactant Films”

Tim Alig
Doctoral Candidate
Chemical Engineering UCSB

DATE: Tuesday, May 25, 2004
TIME: 4:00 p.m.
PLACE: Engineering II, Room 3361

ABSTRACT

Lack of proper lung surfactant (LS) function is a serious condition known as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). RDS is a potentially fatal condition that arises from premature birth or acute lung injury. When infants are born prematurely they may lack LS. This condition can be treated by replacement LS extracted from animal sources. This treatment is somewhat successful, but far from perfect. There is a need for artificial replacement LS due to the high cost of the natural surfactants and inconsistency of the natural mixtures. Over the course of my research, I investigated the biophysical properties of LS in order to help design better artificial replacement LS. The main property we investigated was the collapse and recovery of the LS that would occur during a normal breathing cycle. When I started very little was known about the exact mechanism of collapse and even less known about recovery.

I studied many different systems starting a simple single component system and finishing with the commercial surfactant mixtures. Each system has provided another level of understanding in the area of collapse and recovery. The single component systems demonstrate the collapse mechanisms and the barriers to recovery. The more complicated mixtures demonstrate how nature overcomes these barriers.

Overall this research has led to a greater understanding of LS collapse and recovery mechanisms. This greater understanding has led to more standardized testing of LS properties. The picture gained from this research has been indispensable in the interpretation of our most recent data in the area of serum inhibition. The presence of serum in the lung inhibits lung surfactant function. This inhibition is the focus of ongoing research and the knowledge gained will aid in the treatment of RDS.