Geertje Lewin
Lewin ToxConsulting, Germany
Title: The developing lung: morphological and functional features in the context of gas exchange, immune function, metabolic properties and exogenous noxae
Biography
Biography: Geertje Lewin
Abstract
The lung is so much more than simply our organ for gas exchange. Its development starts early in embryogenesis as a derivative of the foregut and a multitude of functional aspects matures over time, including immunological and metabolic properties. At every step of development, exogenous noxae and factors derived from maternal-fetal interaction can interfere and have long-lasting consequences. An excursus in developmental pulmonary morphology along with functional maturational aspects is given. Â The adaptations during child birth and growth and expansion well into childhood are discussed. An emphasis is laid upon malformations, congenital diseases, drug influences and toxic impact during pre- and postnatal development. Since pediatric drug development is an ongoing hot topic but also a battle due to missing data in science and industry, testing strategies and data on comparative organ maturation in human babies and juvenile experimental animals are presented