Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening form of respiratory failure that affects approximately 750,000 patients annually in the EU, causing significant morbidity and mortality. The pathology is characterized by acute respiratory failure that requires mechanical ventilation (MV) in severe cases. While MV is essential in treating respiratory failure, it can also cause or worsen lung injury –  a condition known as ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) – through excessive mechanical strain and inflammation within the lung tissues.  The excessive mechanical strain imposed on the lung structures and linked inflammation during ARDS are contributing factors to VILI. Yet, the magnitude and distribution of strain imposed on the airspaces during MV, and their link to inflammation, are not fully elucidated.

This HALRIC project brings together experts from the Lund BioImaging Centre (LBIC) at Lund University, the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Skåne University Hospital and Grenoble University Hospital, combining skills in imaging, lung pathology, and clinical research to advance the understanding of VILI.

The project will use advanced imaging and tissue analysis techniques to investigate, on both an organ and microscopic level, the underlying mechanisms causing VILI. More profound knowledge about progression of VILI is needed, including studies of changes in the structure and composition of the lung extracellular matrix (ECM).

Researchers will conduct X-ray microtomographic (µCT) 4D imaging in rat models to visualize the lungs during ARDS, before and after the induction of VILI. In addition, ex vivo precision cut lung slices (PCLS) and tissue histology will be studied to gain knowledge about the ECM and potential biomarkers that could serve as specific indicators of VILI onset.

For further information about this HALRIC pilot project, please contact:
Irma Mahmutovic Persson: irma.mahmutovic_persson@med.lu.se
Lund University