Medical Dialogues
  • Dermatology
Login Register
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
Login Register
  • MD Brand Connect
  • Vaccine Hub
  • MDTV
    • Breaking News
    • Medical News Today
    • Health News Today
    • Latest
    • Journal Club
    • Medico Legal Update
    • Latest Webinars
    • MD Shorts
    • Health Dialogues
  • Fact Check
  • Health Dialogues
Medical Dialogues
  • Medical News & Guidelines
      • Anesthesiology
      • Cardiology and CTVS
      • Critical Care
      • Dentistry
      • Dermatology
      • Diabetes and Endocrinology
      • ENT
      • Gastroenterology
      • Medicine
      • Nephrology
      • Neurology
      • Obstretics-Gynaecology
      • Oncology
      • Ophthalmology
      • Orthopaedics
      • Pediatrics-Neonatology
      • Psychiatry
      • Pulmonology
      • Radiology
      • Surgery
      • Urology
      • Laboratory Medicine
      • Diet
      • Nursing
      • Paramedical
      • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
      • Doctor News
      • Government Policies
      • Hospital & Diagnostics
      • International Health News
      • Medical Organization News
      • Medico Legal News
      • NBE News
      • NMC News
  • Fact Check
      • Bone Health Fact Check
      • Brain Health Fact Check
      • Cancer Related Fact Check
      • Child Care Fact Check
      • Dental and oral health fact check
      • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
      • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
      • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
      • Fitness fact check
      • Gut health fact check
      • Heart health fact check
      • Kidney health fact check
      • Medical education fact check
      • Men's health fact check
      • Respiratory fact check
      • Skin and hair care fact check
      • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
      • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
    • Homeopathy
    • Siddha
    • Unani
    • Yoga
  • State News
      • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
      • Andhra Pradesh
      • Arunachal Pradesh
      • Assam
      • Bihar
      • Chandigarh
      • Chattisgarh
      • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
      • Daman and Diu
      • Delhi
      • Goa
      • Gujarat
      • Haryana
      • Himachal Pradesh
      • Jammu & Kashmir
      • Jharkhand
      • Karnataka
      • Kerala
      • Ladakh
      • Lakshadweep
      • Madhya Pradesh
      • Maharashtra
      • Manipur
      • Meghalaya
      • Mizoram
      • Nagaland
      • Odisha
      • Puducherry
      • Punjab
      • Rajasthan
      • Sikkim
      • Tamil Nadu
      • Telangana
      • Tripura
      • Uttar Pradesh
      • Uttrakhand
      • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
      • Ayush Education News
      • Dentistry Education News
      • Medical Admission News
      • Medical Colleges News
      • Medical Courses News
      • Medical Universities News
      • Nursing education News
      • Paramedical Education News
      • Study Abroad
  • Industry
      • Health Investment News
      • Health Startup News
      • Medical Devices News
      • Pharma News
      • Pharmacy Education News
      • Industry Perspective
  • MDTV
      • Health Dialogues MDTV
      • Health News today MDTV
      • Latest Videos MDTV
      • Latest Webinars MDTV
      • MD shorts MDTV
      • Medical News Today MDTV
      • Medico Legal Update MDTV
      • Top Videos MDTV
      • Health Perspectives MDTV
      • Journal Club MDTV
      • Medical Dialogues Show
This site is intended for healthcare professionals only
LoginRegister
Medical Dialogues
LoginRegister
  • Home
  • Medical news & Guidelines
    • Anesthesiology
    • Cardiology and CTVS
    • Critical Care
    • Dentistry
    • Dermatology
    • Diabetes and Endocrinology
    • ENT
    • Gastroenterology
    • Medicine
    • Nephrology
    • Neurology
    • Obstretics-Gynaecology
    • Oncology
    • Ophthalmology
    • Orthopaedics
    • Pediatrics-Neonatology
    • Psychiatry
    • Pulmonology
    • Radiology
    • Surgery
    • Urology
    • Laboratory Medicine
    • Diet
    • Nursing
    • Paramedical
    • Physiotherapy
  • Health news
    • Doctor News
    • Government Policies
    • Hospital & Diagnostics
    • International Health News
    • Medical Organization News
    • Medico Legal News
    • NBE News
    • NMC News
  • Fact Check
    • Bone Health Fact Check
    • Brain Health Fact Check
    • Cancer Related Fact Check
    • Child Care Fact Check
    • Dental and oral health fact check
    • Diabetes and metabolic health fact check
    • Diet and Nutrition Fact Check
    • Eye and ENT Care Fact Check
    • Fitness fact check
    • Gut health fact check
    • Heart health fact check
    • Kidney health fact check
    • Medical education fact check
    • Men's health fact check
    • Respiratory fact check
    • Skin and hair care fact check
    • Vaccine and Immunization fact check
    • Women's health fact check
  • AYUSH
    • Ayurveda
      • Ayurveda Giuidelines
      • Ayurveda News
    • Homeopathy
      • Homeopathy Guidelines
      • Homeopathy News
    • Siddha
      • Siddha Guidelines
      • Siddha News
    • Unani
      • Unani Guidelines
      • Unani News
    • Yoga
      • Yoga Guidelines
      • Yoga News
  • State News
    • Andaman and Nicobar Islands
    • Andhra Pradesh
    • Arunachal Pradesh
    • Assam
    • Bihar
    • Chandigarh
    • Chattisgarh
    • Dadra and Nagar Haveli
    • Daman and Diu
    • Delhi
    • Goa
    • Gujarat
    • Haryana
    • Himachal Pradesh
    • Jammu & Kashmir
    • Jharkhand
    • Karnataka
    • Kerala
    • Ladakh
    • Lakshadweep
    • Madhya Pradesh
    • Maharashtra
    • Manipur
    • Meghalaya
    • Mizoram
    • Nagaland
    • Odisha
    • Puducherry
    • Punjab
    • Rajasthan
    • Sikkim
    • Tamil Nadu
    • Telangana
    • Tripura
    • Uttar Pradesh
    • Uttrakhand
    • West Bengal
  • Medical Education
    • Ayush Education News
    • Dentistry Education News
    • Medical Admission News
    • Medical Colleges News
    • Medical Courses News
    • Medical Universities News
    • Nursing education News
    • Paramedical Education News
    • Study Abroad
  • Industry
    • Health Investment News
    • Health Startup News
    • Medical Devices News
    • Pharma News
      • CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) News
    • Pharmacy Education News
    • Industry Perspective
  • Home
  • Pulmonology
  • Pulmonology News
  • Cystic fibrosis drug...

Cystic fibrosis drug helpful for pneumonia treatment, study finds

Written By : Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli Published On 2022-12-24T11:00:11+05:30  |  Updated On 24 Dec 2022 2:55 PM IST
Cystic fibrosis drug helpful for pneumonia treatment, study finds
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • Telegram
  • Email

Germany: The researchers from Berlin have discovered a potential new therapy in the form of a cystic fibrosis drug that proved effective in their laboratory experiments. The discovery raised hope that it could treat pneumonia regardless of the causative pathogen. The findings from the study were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 and pneumococcus can cause severe pneumonia. If the airways fill with fluid, the patient risks developing acute respiratory distress syndrome. The research team have discovered the molecular mechanisms that trigger fluid accumulation in the lungs.

Pneumonia is the most common cause of fluid buildup in the lungs. This condition, known as pulmonary edema, results in parts of the airspaces filling with fluid instead of air, preventing them from exchanging gases. Patients struggle to breathe, and their bodies can't get enough oxygen. The diagnosis is acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS. "Despite cutting-edge medical procedures, roughly 40 percent of patients with ARDS die in intensive care. The problem is that antibiotics, antivirals, and immune-modulating therapies rarely work well enough," says study leader Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kuebler, Director of the Institute of Physiology at Charité.

"That's why we took a very different approach in our study. Instead of focusing on the pathogen, we focused on strengthening the barrier function of the blood vessels in the lungs." This makes sense, as they are the fluid source in pulmonary edema. The lung vessels become permeable, allowing fluid from the blood to flow into the surrounding tissue and thereby flood the airspaces.

But what causes this? What are the underlying molecular mechanisms? A Charité research team led by Prof. Kuebler set out to answer these questions. They performed experiments using cells, lung tissue, and isolated lungs. The study centered on the CFTR chloride channel, which scientists know is mainly found in the mucosal cells of our airways. There, it plays a major role in keeping our mucus thin so it can drain away easily. The researchers have now shown for the first time that cells in the lungs' blood vessels also have CFTR and that its presence is drastically reduced in pneumonia.

To find out what role CFTR plays in the pulmonary vessels and what is happening at the molecular level when the chloride channel is lost, the researchers blocked the channel with an inhibitor and dictated the number of chloride ions in the cells. They then used a special imaging technique known as immunofluorescence imaging: "We saw that inhibiting CFTR triggered a molecular cascade that ultimately causes the lung's blood vessels to begin leaking," says Dr. Lasti Erfinanda, who also works at the Institute of Physiology and is the study's lead author. "So CFTR actually does play a very key role in the development of pulmonary edema."

The study findings indicate that the loss of CFTR causes chloride to accumulate in the cells because it stops being transported out of them. The excess chloride triggers signaling that ends with an uncontrolled flow of calcium into the cells via a calcium channel. "The increased calcium concentration then causes the vascular cells to contract-much like the effect that calcium has on muscle cells," explains Prof. Kuebler. "This results in gaps between the cells – which allows fluid to spill out of the blood vessels. Chloride channels are therefore crucial in maintaining the barrier function of the pulmonary vessels."

The research team then addressed another question: How could they attenuate or prevent the pneumonia-induced loss of chloride channels in the pulmonary vessels? To answer this, the researchers used a therapeutic agent that is classed as a CFTR modulator and currently used to treat cystic fibrosis. In cystic fibrosis patients, a genetic mutation prevents the CFTR chloride channel from working properly in the mucosal cells of the airways, resulting in very viscous mucus. "Ivacaftor is a drug that increases the chances of the chloride channel opening, which helps the mucus to flow through the airways," says Dr. Erfinanda. "We wanted to see if it would also have a positive effect on the cells in the lungs' blood vessels."

Ivacaftor did make the chloride channels more stable: it led to less degradation in the channels than that typically caused by the lung's inflammatory processes. Experiments on animal models showed the same effect: treatment with ivacaftor increased the probability of surviving severe pneumonia, reduced lung injury, and resulted in much milder symptoms and a much better general condition than without the drug. "We really weren't expecting it to work so well," says Prof. Kuebler. "We hope our findings will pave the way for clinical trials to test the efficacy of CFTR modulators in pneumonia patients. Suppose this promising, pathogen-independent therapy finds its way into clinical practice. In that case, it could benefit a huge number of patients and prevent pneumonia from becoming life-threatening – even in the case of unknown pathogens."

Prof. Kuebler and his team are now planning research projects to develop other potential therapies based on the CFTR signaling pathway. They will also research which patients have an elevated risk of developing ARDS, so they can provide them with preventive, personalized treatment.

Reference:

Lasti Erfinanda, Lin Zou, Birgitt Gutbier, Laura Kneller, Sarah Weidenfeld, Laura Michalick, Disi Lei, Katrin Reppe, Luiz Gustavo Teixeira Alves, Bill Schneider , Caihong Li, Diana Fatykhova, Paul Schneider, Wolfgang Liedtke, Eisei Sohara, Timothy J. Mitchell, Achim D. Gruber, Andreas Hocke, Stefan Hippenstiel, Norbert Suttorp SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 7 Dec 2022 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abg8577

Science Translational MedicinepneumoniaCystic fibrosisSARS-CoV-2acute respiratory distress syndromepulmonary edemalung tissuepulmonary vesselslung injury
Source : Science Translational Medicine
Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli
Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli

Dr Kamal Kant Kohli-MBBS, DTCD- a chest specialist with more than 30 years of practice and a flair for writing clinical articles, Dr Kamal Kant Kohli joined Medical Dialogues as a Chief Editor of Medical News. Besides writing articles, as an editor, he proofreads and verifies all the medical content published on Medical Dialogues including those coming from journals, studies,medical conferences,guidelines etc. Email: drkohli@medicaldialogues.in. Contact no. 011-43720751

Show Full Article
Next Story

Editorial

Real-World Case study: Darbepoetin Alfa for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia in Metastatic Breast Cancer - Dr Aditya Murali

Real-World Case study: Darbepoetin Alfa for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia in Metastatic Breast Cancer...

Aspirin in Primary Prevention- When to Consider?

Aspirin in Primary Prevention- When to Consider?

Featured image representing medico legal

What's the Role of Expert Opinion in Medical Negligence?

7- Point Discharge Protocol for AECOPD: Time to Inculcate in Practice

7- Point Discharge Protocol for AECOPD: Time to Inculcate in Practice

Aspirin Use in Women Aged 40-50 with Diabetes and Hypertension: Identifying the Ideal Candidates

Aspirin Use in Women Aged 40-50 with Diabetes and Hypertension: Identifying the Ideal Candidates

View All

Journal Club Today

Real-World Case study: Darbepoetin Alfa for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia in Metastatic Breast Cancer - Dr Aditya Murali

Real-World Case study: Darbepoetin Alfa for Chemotherapy-Induced Anemia in Metastatic Breast Cancer...

View All

Health News Today

Health Bulletin 08/ May/ 2025

Health Bulletin 08/ May/ 2025

View All
© 2022 All Rights Reserved.
Powered By: Hocalwire
X
We use cookies for analytics, advertising and to improve our site. You agree to our use of cookies by continuing to use our site. To know more, see our Cookie Policy and Cookie Settings.Ok