Pneumonia is responsible for a tremendous burden of disease worldwide. In the U.S., it is a leading cause of death due to infection, especially for those of advanced age. For survivors, pneumonia’s lingering effects such as reduced lung function, scarring and new or worsened respiratory issues like asthma or COPD, may accelerate unhealthy aging.  While pneumonia is fundamentally a disease of the lung tissue characterized by inflammation and alveolar damage, medical science has historically relied on symptoms, imaging (X-rays), and microbiological cultures (microbe-directed) to classify the disease, rather than analyzing the specific cellular damage and structural changes in the lungs (histopathology) to create personalized treatment subgroups (subphenotyping). In a new study, researchers from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine have identified seven different forms of pneumonia. This is the first systematic examination of pulmonary histopathology during pneumonia, resulting in a new framework for understanding pneumonia heterogeneity based on cellular resolution of lung biology.

From workforce shortages to child safety concerns, Australia’s early childhood education sector is under pressure. Despite these pressures, children should never bear the consequences – particularly those who have already experienced trauma.