Identification of the genetic basis of post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans in children

 

Post-infectious bronchiolitis obliterans (PIBO) is a rare but severe complication of respiratory infections caused by usually benign viruses such as adenoviruses. It is characterized by inflammation and scarring of the small airways in the lungs, leading to chronic breathing problems in children that continue into adulthood. It is unclear why few children develop PIBO while most recover. Differences in genes may explain why some children develop PIBO and others do not. When examining patient populations around the world, PIBO seems to be more common in the Southern hemisphere and it is more frequent in Indigenous populations than in populations of European origin who live in the same areas. While it happens in other countries, more cases have been found in Argentina, Chile and Brazil. This project proposes to uncover the genetic basis of this condition by using a combination of genetic sequencing and disease modelling among patients with PIBO recruited in a network of hospital centres across South America, Israel and Canada.

This project was selected for funding during the second research competition of the Joint Canada-Israel Health Research Program – Phase II (Communicable Diseases). The program is a partnership between IDRC, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Israel Science Foundation and the Azrieli Foundation.