Collagen in the lung: development of a technology applicable to human lung disease.

Techniques have been developed to quantitate in vitro the types, rates and fates of collagen synthesized by animal and human lung. Studies are continuing in our laboratory to apply these techniques to investigate important lung disorders, including: (1) classification of the fibrotic lung disorders by the types of collagen synthesized; (2) development of an in vitro drug evaluation system to determine, in a lung biopsy, which drugs are useful in reducing the fibrotic process for a patient with interstitial disease; and (3) investigations of the influence of serum proteins on lung connective tissue synthesis and proteolysis.