Center for Childhood Asthma in the Urban Environment

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant) The long-term goals of this Center are to examine how exposures to environmental pollutants and allergens may relate to airway inflammation and respiratory morbidity in children with asthma living in the inner city of Baltimore, and to search for new ways to reduce asthma morbidity by reducing exposure to these agents. To accomplish these goals the Center includes both basic and applied research programs in combination with a community based intervention research project. The first project is a community based epidemiologic study of 400 children 6-12 and their homes to identify relevant airborne exposures and to examine genetic determinants of asthma morbidity resulting from these exposures. The second project is community based participatory research project that is a randomized controlled clinical trial in 120 children of the effectiveness of behavioral methods to reducing pollutant and allergen exposures and their adverse health effects. The third project examines the mechanisms by which particulate matter may exacerbate an allergen driven response in of the airways. The fourth project, conducted by a newly recruited investigator, will examine the effects of environmental particulates on the in vitro maturation of peripheral blood monocytes to dendritic cells. These projects will be supported by core facilities for data management and exposure assessment. Another core facility will increase the Center's existing community outreach and translational activities. An Administrative Core will support research and general meetings to integrate the interests and activities of the Center. A community advisory committee has contributed to both the environmental epidemiology project and the community based intervention research project planning, and has agreed to meet periodically with Center researchers to discuss the Center's findings and progress. A seven member External Advisory Committee as been recruited. Information gained by this coordinated interdisciplinary team will allow rational plans to be made for future studies to examine susceptible children and to plan even more effective interventions in future studies with collaborating families in the East Baltimore Community.