Some diseases, such as the “emerging corona virus” and pneumonia, can cause severe pneumonia if the airways fill with fluid, which leads to the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Researchers at the University of Berlin in Germany have discovered the molecular mechanisms that lead to the accumulation of fluid in the lungs, which led them to discover the effectiveness of a commercial drug, ivacaftor, currently used to treat cystic fibrosis, which raised hopes that it could be used to treat pneumonia, regardless of the pathogen that caused it.
Pneumonia is the most common cause of fluid buildup in the lungs. This condition, known as pulmonary edema, causes parts of the lung to fill with fluid instead of air. Patients have difficulty breathing and their body is not getting enough oxygen.
To treat this condition, researchers took a different approach during the new study, published yesterday in the journal Science Translation Medicine, focusing on strengthening the barrier function of blood vessels in the lungs, to prevent the flow of fluids that leads to the disease, rather than than focusing on the pathogen.
The researchers conducted experiments using cells, lung tissue and lungs, and the study focused on the CFTR chloride channel, which scientists know is found primarily in the mucous cells of our airways. It plays an important role in keeping the mucus fluid so that it can be drained easily.
The researchers have now shown, for the first time, that cells in the blood vessels of the lungs also contain this channel and that its presence is significantly reduced in pneumonia.
To find out what role it plays in the pulmonary vessels and what happens at a molecular level when it’s lost, the researchers sealed the duct with an inhibitor, then used a special imaging technique known as ‘immunoimaging’. therapeutic agent classified as a CFTR chloride channel modulator, ivacaftor, currently used for the treatment of cystic fibrosis.
And experiments in animal models showed that use of the treatment led to an increased likelihood of survival from severe pneumonia.
