The prevalence of respiratory diseases is among the leading causes of human suffering and death in the world. Most noteworthy are acute respiratory infections (the third largest cause of death worldwide), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or “COPD” (fourth largest cause of death worldwide), followed by other chronic conditions such as asthma, respiratory distress syndrome, sleep apnea, cystic fibrosis, and tuberculosis, as well as lung cancers and pulmonary vascular disorders such as pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary embolism.

The increasing incidence of respiratory diseases, coupled with their chronic nature, and the increase in expected life span in most modern societies, translates into higher prevalence, disability, and increasing costs to society (cost of hospitalization and treatment, work days lost, premature death). Many respiratory diseases require lifelong medical treatment.

It is the premise of the CIMIT Inhalation Technology Program that developing technologies to facilitate treatment of respiratory disease and to deliver therapy through an inhaled route for systemic therapy will help to reduce human suffering and eventually health care costs.

CIMIT’s Inhalation Technology Program is focused on developing novel inhalation technologies to treat respiratory and non-respiratory diseases. The goal is to establish a world-leading platform for research and development of technologies and techniques that use the respiratory tract for the delivery of therapy for local lung disease and as a “highway” to deliver agents systematically. 

Areas for innovation will include use of novel combinations of gases, therapeutic agents, inhalation systems, delivery systems, “smart-delivery” or self-monitoring/dosing devices.  Multidisciplinary innovations hold particular promise.

Specific aims of the Inhalation Technology Program include:

• To focus on technologic innovations for cost-effective delivery of inhaled therapeutic agents, such as medications, inhaled solutions, and gases.
• To promote the development of novel technologies to monitor the safety and clinical effectiveness of inhalation therapies. 
• To develop diagnostic techniques including imaging and biomarkers. 

Initial research priorities for 2009 include application of inhalation technologies for organ protection and critical care, respiratory and infectious diseases and oncology.

Specifically, organ protection in the acute clinical settings should focus on problems such as cerebral ischemia, sepsis & inflammation, suspended animation, traumatic injury including brain hypertension emergencies and intra-operative organ protection.  Ideal agents could be delivered by closed loop monitoring to provide organ protection or diagnose injury.  

Respiratory/infectious disease treatment or prevention can take place in acute or ambulatory settings. There is vast clinical need for improved delivery in asthma, COPD and pulmonary hypertension. Potential projects include optimizing of delivery of therapeutic agents, regional targeting of inhalation agents, and monitoring for safety, frequency of use, and patient compliance.

In the area of oncology, the pulmonary highway may be an appropriate route of inhalation agents in acute and ambulatory settings for pain relief, diagnosis, or treatment with lower toxicity.