Lung Surfactant Function and Disorder

Kaushik Nag

• Composition, Structure, and Function. Lung Surfactant Phospholipid Molecular Species in Health and Disease. New Insights into Thermal Dynamics of the Surfactant System from Warm and Cold Animals. Molecular and Functional Properties of Surfactant Protein A. Receptors and Ligands for Collectin Surfactant Proteins A and D. Structure-Function Relationships of Hydrophobic Proteins SP-B and SP-C in Pulmonary Surfactant. Biophysics and Molecular Mechanisms. Chain Dancing, Super-Cool Surfactant, and Heavy-Breathing: Rafts, Membranes and Phase Transitions. The Basis of Low Surface Tension in the Lungs. Surfactant and Airway Liquid Flows. Lung Surfactants: A Molecular Perspective from Computation. Analysis of Surface Topology and Chemical Composition of Microstructures Formed in Planar Surfactant Films Under Compression. SP-B Peptides: Synthesis, Structure, and Surface Activity. Structure and Function of the Molecular Film of Pulmonary Surfactant at the Air-Alveolar Interface: The Role of SP-C. Analysis of SP-C Function in Transgenic and Gene Targeted Mice. Alternative Functions of SP-B and SP-C. Dysfunction and Disease. The Physiological Significance of a Dysfunctional Lung Surfactant. Pulmonary Surfactant in Asthma and Allergy. Surfactant Treatment for Inflammatory Lung Disease. Alteration of Alveolar Surfactant Function by Reactive Oxygen Species. Novel Surfactant Therapy for Developing Countries: Current Status and Future Directions