BLACKSBURG, Va., May 16, 2007 – Virginia Bioinformatics
Institute and Department of Biological Sciences Associate
Professor Chris Lawrence are teaming up with Mayo Clinic on a
$2.4 million research project funded by the National Institute
of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a division of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH). The work could help
researchers develop treatments, diagnostic tools, and
preventative measures for patients suffering from chronic
rhinosinusitis (CRS). Chronic rhinosinusitis is a debilitating
chronic airway disease that results in up to 18–22 million
clinical cases per year and at least 30 million courses of
antibiotic treatment (National Center for Health Statistics).
CRS can produce inflammation of the lining of the nasal sinus.
In some cases, this is followed by thickening of sinus mucosa
and the formation of polyps or growths in the nasal cavity. Even
with aggressive medical and surgical therapies, a significant
number of patients with CRS have persistent or recurrent pr