More than 3 million Canadians cope with a serious pulmonary disease that can be related to inflammation. Recent reports suggest that with global warming and aging of the population, these numbers are bound to increase further. Inflammation is a central feature of many respiratory diseases. Due to the particular environment of the lung, essential for gas exchange, it is crucial that the immune system is well balanced to respond to the various agents found in the inhaled air without causing damage to the tissues involved in pulmonary functions. If this fine balance is disturbed it can lead on one hand to increase susceptibility to infections like pneumonia or on the other hand to loss of organ functionality as in asthma. more... See more text