Environmental Determinants of Early Host Response to RSV

Inhaled air pollutants such as ozone are known to exacerbate asthma and may play a potential role in the development of reactive airway disease such as asthma in early life. While ozone can cause significant respiratory health problems in the majority of exposed individuals, young children are particularly at risk for developing serious adverse health effects from ozone exposure. This is because their lungs are still rapidly developing, and exposures during this critical time period of susceptibility may alter lung development, resulting in permanent respiratory health problems. Air pollutants may also influence the developing immune system in young children, increasing susceptibility to infection and promoting airway sensitization to common airborne allergens. The overall objective of this project is to define how ozone influences children's lung development and immune system response early in life. Our general hypothesis is that ozone exposure in the early period after birth alters lung development and modifies the child's immune response to early life viral infection and allergen exposure, thereby contributing to the development of reactive airway disease such as asthma.