Computer program 'stretches' lungs to mimic emphysema
Barbara Moran-Boston University
Emphysema is a long-term and devastating lung disease. As it progresses, the body’s own inflammatory enzymes slowly digest and destroy alveoli, the delicate sacs where oxygen from air is transferred to the bloodstream.
The damaged alveoli form large holes in lung tissue that impair gas exchange in the rest of the organ, leading to shortness of breath, wheezing, chronic cough, and, eventually, death.
By looking at the disease with engineers’ eyes, researchers have gained insight into how it...