Prevention of the consequences of smoking
American scientists have developed a drug that has proven effective for the prevention of smoking-related respiratory tract diseases in mice. This opens up a fundamentally new way to treat such diseases in humans.
Smoking most often causes chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes manifestations of chronic obstructive bronchitis and emphysema of the lungs. With this disease, the lumen of the bronchi narrows and the quality of the protective mucus covering them deteriorates, as well as stretching and compaction of the lung tissue occurs, which leads to progressive respiratory failure.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins University have chosen the Nrf2 gene, whose functions are disrupted in this disease, as a target for drug therapy of COPD. This gene is the main regulator of antioxidant and detoxification biochemical reactions.
CDDO-imidazole (CDDO-Im) was used as an Nrf2 activator. It was administered to mice that were exposed to tobacco smoke for six months. The control group of mice received smoke without the drug.
It turned out that CDDO-Im effectively prevented respiratory tract damage, which was observed in the control group. The results obtained will allow us to begin studying the effectiveness and safety of exposure to Nrf2 in humans
Copper News based on Newswise Materials: Nrf2 Could Be Novel Target for COPD Prevention TherapiesPortal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru