Terence Risby at the 2020 Breath Biopsy Conference

The 2021 Breath Biopsy Conference is scheduled for 12th & 13th October. Click the button to express interest in the next Breath Biopsy Conference:

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Talk Abstract:
Cellular aerobic energy metabolism involves the concerted four-electron reduction of molecular oxygen. However, one to five percent of oxygen undergoes a stepwise reduction to one-electron reduction intermediates, reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS have short lifetimes in vivo and their adverse or favorable effects will be dependent upon the cellular location where they are generated. Given that molecular oxygen is required to sustain cellular aerobic metabolism, aerobic organisms have developed antioxidant defense systems to protect against these ubiquitous one-electron reduction intermediates. Since aerobic organisms are able to control the endogenous levels of reactive oxygen species by antioxidant species, it has been hypothesized that aerobic organisms rely on ROS for molecular signaling. Elevated levels of reactive oxidant species have been shown to be associated with the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases. However, it has not been established if increases in the levels of reactive oxygen species are the cause for the onset of disease or the host response to the onset of disease. Therefore, the elevation of reactive oxygen species would be a generic response to any disease process and is beneficial to the organism. Elevated levels of reactive oxidant species have also been shown to be associated with exposure to exogenous molecules, including foods. Exhaled breath is the only specimen that can be collected non-invasively from any subject.

This presentation will discuss the relationship between breath VOCs originating from lipid peroxidation and human homeostasis.

Speaker Biography:

Dr. Risby is Professor Emeritus of Environmental Health Sciences at the Bloomberg School of Public Health of the Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Risby’s interests in breath biomarkers of exposure assessment, tissue injury, disease progression, and therapy began more than thirty-five years ago when he conducted a pilot study to analyze breath intra-operatively during human liver transplantation. This study enabled reperfusion injury to be measured independently from ischemic damage. The Johns Hopkins breath analysis laboratory in collaboration with clinical colleagues has published numerous publications. Dr. Risby was a founding member for the International Association for Breath Research (IABR) and the Journal of Breath Research (JBR). He is currently associate editor of the journal BIOMARKERS and the Journal of Breath Research. Dr. Risby has brought his expertise in chromatography and mass spectrometry to bear on applications relevant to research on a variety of diseases including liver diseases and finding unique markers in breath that relate to the functional status of the disease. The research program of Dr. Risby’s laboratory has been supported with funds from the federal government. The current focus of Risby’s research is the use of breath biomarkers in clinical molecular epidemiological studies.

The 2021 Breath Biopsy Conference is scheduled for 12th & 13th October. Click the button to express interest in the next Breath Biopsy Conference:

Express Interest