Gene involved in lung disease identified
Recent identification of a gene involved in the pathogenesis of a progressive and incurable lung disease could lead to the development of new treatments, say scientists.
A team from the US and Mexico analysed the pattern of gene expression
in people suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a disease damaging
the ability of lung tissue to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. They
discovered that the gene osteopontin was more prevalent in the lungs
of people with the disease than in those without it.
They then found that stimulating human lung cells with this gene increased
the proliferation and migration of cells involved in
fibrosis, indicating that the gene has a key role in the pathway of the
disease.
They note that previous research suggests that mice that do not carry
the osteopontin gene are protected from a similar lung disease.
The scientists say that drugs designed to target osteopontin may be a
treatment option for the currently incurable and lethal disease, and
that osteopontin may prove useful in the diagnosis and early detection
of the disease.
The study was published online in
the September issue of PloS
Medicine. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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