WASHINGTON (AP) -- Researchers have found a compound that blocks the production of excessive mucus, which could point the way to better treatments for asthma, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis and other diseases.
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January 12, 2004
By James Winshall, M.D.
Harvard Medical School
What Is The Doctor's Reaction?
A new mucus-blocking drug might be a useful addition to currently available treatments for a variety of lung conditions. Mucus can contribute to cough, and can partially block the airways. This is especially true in the inherited disease cystic fibrosis and in a condition known as bronchiectasis.
However, it's important to point out that mucus isn't the main problem in the two most common lung diseases, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Mucus plays a role, but the main problem is inflammation and narrowing of the bronchi (medium-sized breathing tubes). That's why treatment for these conditions focuses on anti-inflammatory medications (such as inhaled corticosteroids) and bronchial tube relaxers (beta-agonists drugs like albuterol). Quitting smoking -- which is a major trigger for mucus and inflammation -- is also one of the mainstays in treating many different lung problems.
A few mucus-blocking and mucus-dissolving drugs are already on the market, although none of them work perfectly. A compound called dornase alpha (Pulmozyme) has been successfully used to thin the mucus in cystic fibrosis patients. However, it's very expensive, and has not been well studied in other conditions.
What Changes Can I Make Now?
Be sure to see your physician if you are troubled by excessive amounts of mucus. The first step will be to find out why you are making mucus -- whether it's coming from the lungs, the throat, or the sinuses. Sometimes treating an underlying problem can make a big difference. For example, a course of antibiotics and decongestants or the right antihistamine can clear up a troubling sinus problem.
The most common condition causing daily mucus is chronic bronchitis, which is considered to be a form of COPD. Virtually all people who develop chronic bronchitis have been smoking at least a pack of cigarettes per day for two decades. Quitting won't always eliminate this problem completely, but it's the single best step to reduce the mucus and daily cough.
What Can I Expect Looking To The Future?
This news story is another example of how the revolution in molecular biology holds the promise of a payoff for the day-to-day day practice of medicine. In this case, research in mice helps us to understand how mucus is produced by both normal and abnormal lung issue. Even if the experimental new drug isn't the perfect way to block mucus in human diseases, it adds to our knowledge of how the body works and how it breaks down.
Ultimately, conquering COPD will mean making further strides against tobacco use. We also increasingly recognize that air pollution probably plays a role in the number of chronic lung diseases. However, the explosion in asthma over the past three decades is much less understood, and the key to this disease is more complicated than either tobacco or mucus. Research into the immune system's role in this disease is likely to provide more answers.
Related Areas:
Asthma
