Mihaela Teodorescu, MD, MS, associate professor, Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, has been awarded $300,000 over 18 months from the United States Department of Defense office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) for a project entitled “Effects of Corticosteroid Administration on Tongue Musculature in Rats.”

The funding was granted through the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP) Discovery Award program.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a widespread and under-diagnosed chronic medical condition in the United States affecting approximately 41 M adults, with 32 M of people living with OSA experiencing moderate to severe disease. OSA occurs when an individual repetitively stops breathing for periods of time during sleep, which is caused by closure of the upper airway due to dysregulation of the tongue muscle. 

People with asthma are at higher risk for developing OSA, and OSA aggravates asthma. Previous work indicated that inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy, the standard and most commonly prescribed treatment for asthma, may play a role in the heightened risk for OSA. This research study will test the effect of ICS on tongue muscle function and structure in a rat model of chronic oral ICS administration.

Researchers aim to gain a clearer picture of how ICS affects development of OSA and establish methods and a novel animal model for further research on the effects of ICS on oropharyngeal muscles in relation to breathing, swallowing, and speech. Additional research using this model will be aimed at finding strategies to mitigate or prevent deleterious effects on the upper airway in people who suffer from asthma and OSA.