Potential new approach to treatment of chronic lung diseases

March 26, 2012 in Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

(Medical Xpress) -- Scientists at UCD have identified a potential new treatment for life-threatening complications associated with chronic obstructive lung diseases like emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Chronic obstructive lung diseases, most commonly caused by smoking, affect over 100,000 people in Ireland.

According to findings published recently in Circulation, it may be possible to target and regulate a protein that contributes to pulmonary - in the of the lung – a disabling and potentially fatal complication for patients suffering from chronic obstructive lung disease.

Conway Fellow, Professor Paul McLoughlin from UCD School of Medicine, who led the project said, “diseases such as , chronic and fibrosis of the lungs cause abnormally low levels of oxygen in the lung. When the lung is starved of oxygen, blood pressure in the arteries of the lung increases causing damage to blood vessels and making it more difficult for the heart to pump blood, leading in many cases to heart failure and premature death”.

While investigating the factors that contribute to high blood pressure in the arteries, the UCD research groups found that when oxygen levels in the lung are reduced, the body produces elevated quantities of a protein called gremlin – suggesting a link between elevated levels of gremlin and pulmonary hypertension.

Further investigations showed that mice whose genes had been mutated to reduce gremlin were protected against pulmonary hypertension, even when in a low oxygen environment similar to that found in lung disease. The heart was also protected and the damage to blood vessels in the lung was less severe.

Further research showed that gremlin was elevated in the lungs of patients with , confirming a key role for the protein in damaging the blood vessels of the lung.

“These research findings suggest the potential for additional novel treatments of patients by designing drugs that block the actions of gremlin in the lung”, said Professor McLoughlin.

More information: Cahill et al. Gremlin Plays a Key Role in the Pathogenesis of Pulmonary Hypertension. Circulation (2012) doi: 10.1161/​CIRCULATIONAHA.111.038125

Journal reference: Circulation search and more info website

Provided by University College Dublin

not rated yet  

Rank not rated yet
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Saudi to send animal samples to US in coronavirus probe

Saudi Arabia said Friday it would send samples taken from animals possibly infected with a deadly SARS-like virus to the United States for testing in a bid to find the source of disease.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 2 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

WHO voices deep concern over spread of SARS-like virus

The World Health Organization voiced deep concern Thursday over the SARS-like virus that has killed 22 people in less than a year, saying it might potentially spread more widely between humans.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 6 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

WHO: Scientific red tape mars efforts vs. virus

International efforts to combat a new pneumonia-like virus that has now killed 22 people are being slowed by unclear rules and competition for the potentially profitable rights to disease samples, the head ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 18 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Shortage of key drug hampering U.S. efforts to control TB, report says

(HealthDay)—A shortage of a critical tuberculosis drug has hampered the efforts of health departments across the United States to contain the spread of the highly infectious lung disease, federal officials ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 19 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Heart healthy lifestyle may cut kidney disease patients' risk of kidney failure

Maintaining a heart healthy lifestyle may also help protect chronic kidney disease patients from developing kidney failure and dying prematurely, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the Am ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 19 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Hormone levels may provide key to understanding psychological disorders in women

Women at a particular stage in their monthly menstrual cycle may be more vulnerable to some of the psychological side-effects associated with stressful experiences, according to a study from UCL.

Going live: Immune cell activation in multiple sclerosis

Biological processes are generally based on events at the molecular and cellular level. To understand what happens in the course of infections, diseases or normal bodily functions, scientists would need to ...

ACOG: Hormone therapy not recommended to prevent CHD

(HealthDay)—Menopausal hormone therapy should not be used for prevention of coronary heart disease, according to a Committee Opinion from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published ...

Youth with type 2 diabetes at much higher risk for heart, kidney disease

The news about youth and diabetes keeps getting worse. The latest data from the national TODAY diabetes study shows that children who develop Type 2 diabetes are at high risk to develop heart, kidney and eye problems faster ...

New animal model gives insights into mechanisms of Parkinson's disease pathogenesis

In Parkinson's disease, the protein "alpha-synuclein" aggregates and accumulates within neurons. Specific areas of the brain become progressively affected as the disease develops and advances. The mechanism underlying this ...

Audiologists recommend smart phone apps to monitor noise levels

After studying noise in one French Quarter neighborhood of New Orleans to determine whether or not noise levels exceeded municipal ordinances, Annette Hurley, PhD, Assistant Professor of Audiology at LSU Health Sciences Center ...