Breathe Me: A Revolutionary Treatment for COPD

Sunday - February 25 2024, 11:49 UTC - 9 months ago

A new study has developed a nanocarrier that can shuttle antibiotics into the lungs of patients with COPD. The carrier has "doors" that open in acidic environments, allowing the antibiotics to fight infections and dissolve the slimy mucus barrier. The treatment was successful in a mouse model, showing promise for managing COPD in the future.

We’ve all been more aware of lung health since Covid-19. However, for people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), dealing with lung problems is a lifelong struggle. Those with COPD suffer from highly inflamed lung tissue that swells and obstructs airways, making it hard to breathe. The disease is common, with more than three million annual cases in the US alone. Although manageable, there is no cure .

One problem is that lungs with COPD pump out tons of viscous mucus, which forms a barrier preventing treatments from reaching lung cells. The slimy substance—when not coughed out—also attracts bacteria, further aggravating the condition. A new study in Science Advances describes a potential solution. Scientists have developed a nanocarrier to shuttle antibiotics into the lungs. Like a biological spaceship, the carrier has "doors" that open and release antibiotics inside the mucus layer to fight infections .

The "doors" themselves are also deadly. Made from a small protein, they rip apart bacterial membranes and clean up their DNA to rid lung cells of chronic infection. The team engineered an inhalable version of an antibiotic using the nanocarrier. In a mouse model of COPD, the treatment revived their lung cells in just three days. Their blood oxygen levels returned to normal, and previous signs of lung damage slowly healed .

"This immunoantibacterial strategy may shift the current paradigm of COPD management," the team wrote in the article.