The lungs of premature babies: research into new anti-inflammatory treatment

Develop new therapies to fight against bronchopulmary dysplasia, serious respiratory chronic disease in newborn babies.

PROJECT LEADERS

Prof. Pierre-Henri Jarreau, Professor of Pediatrics, Department of Neonatal Medicine of Port-Royal, Hôpital Cochin, Inserm U 767- University of Paris Descartes.
Dr Céline Méhats, Inserm U 767 – University of Paris Descartes
Pr Christophe Delacourt and Dr Jacques Bourbon, Inserm U 955 - University of Paris 12 Val de Marne.

Context

Of the 15.000 extremely premature babies born every year in France, 4.000 suffer from bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). This chronic respiratory condition, whose causes are still not fully understood, is characterized by the need for respiratory assistance or oxygen 28 days after birth. Pulmonary inflammation, which has multiple causes, plays a great part in this development. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia has serious consequences: in fact, these children are more subject to respiratory problems during early childhood (bronchitis, asthma) and BPD is associated to impairment of neurological development, learning ability and growth. The anti-inflammatory medication currently used in neonatal services (corticosteroids) has serious side-effects, especially at a neurological level. There is thus an urgent need to identify the precise inflammatory mechanisms involved in BPD and to introduce new treatments for overcoming this disabling condition, which is fraught with damaging consequences for the families concerned, on the physical, emotional and financial levels.

Objectives

  • Understand inflammatory mechanisms leading to bronchopulmonary dysplasia in the severely premature infant.
  • Develop new therapeutics by testing a new class of anti-inflammatory agents.

Added value of PremUp Foundation

Work in progress in the PremUp network on the lungs of the premature baby combines fundamental and clinical research based on the 3 perinatal centres (altogether taking care of several hundred extremely premature babies per year) and the research units involved in pulmonary development. Thanks to these complementarities, researchers of the PremUp network have been able to develop
innovative research on the respiratory complications of extreme prematurity and are internationally recognised in this field.

Projected budget

Budget over 3 years
 Year 1
 Year 2 Year 3 Total
Consumables 25.000 25.000 25.000 75.000
Bursary for second year Masters student 15.000 15.000 15.000 45.000
Honorarium for study organiser 10.000 10.000 10.000 30.000

Administration costs of the project
(5 % of the total amount)

 2.500 2.500 2.500 7.500
52.500 52.500
 52.500 157.500

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