Molecular Biology of Acute Lung Injury

Acute lung injury (ALI) impacts patient care in every ICU in the world. Our collective understanding of this condition has grown immensely over the last decade of the 20th century, but morbidity and mortality remain unacceptably high. To enhance the understanding of clinicians and researchers, this book addresses the pathophysiology of acute lung injury from a molecular and cellular standpoint; includes animal models of acute lung injury and points to potential therapeutic advances based on scientific findings. It is a concise compendium of the multiple pathways, mechanisms and molecules involved in the pathophysiology of acute lung injury and is intended to help caregivers understand the process and thus care for patients more effectively.