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[CLIMATE CHANGE AND ALLERGIC AIRWAY DISEASE] OBSERVATIONAL,LABORATORY, AND MODELING STUDIES OF THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ONALLERGIC AIRWAY DISEASE
Impact/Purpose:
Global change affects allergic airway disease (AAD) through changes in exposure to pollen-associated allergens and changes in sensitivity to the allergens. This project proposes to better characterize the mechanisms involved. Investigators will (1) Develop a regional atmospheric dynamic model of pollen production, distribution and dispersion; (2) Develop a population exposure and dose model for estimating pollen exposures (3) Generate pollen phenology from the existing 25 years database from the existing certified 74 U.S. pollen counting stations; (4) Use the regional model to determine how climate change over the next 50 years will change pollen production, distribution, dispersion, and subsequently exposures; and (5) Determine the impact of climate change on pollen allergenicity (allergen content) of various species of plants (grasses, weeds, and trees) using plant chamber and transects with in vitro (immunological, molecular plant genomics) and in vivo (human skin testing) techniques.
Description:
Based on these data and preliminary studies, this proposal will be composed of a multiscale source-to-dose analysis approach for assessing the exposure interactions of environmental and biological systems. Once the entire modeling system is validated, it will run for two 10-year periods, one centered 25 years from the present and one 50 years from the present. This will allow for the consideration of interannual variability and will not be dependent on the weather of one particular year. In addition, the assessment of climate change impact on allergenicity of several species of plants (grasses, weeds and trees) through the multiscale approach as presented in this proposal will provide a virtual window of allergenic pollen production and dispersion occurring in the near future.