New Findings On T-Cell And Protein Interaction May Help Prevent The Onset Of Lung Disease

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 26 Jul 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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A study published by Wiley-Blackwell in the journal Acta Pharmacologica Sinica has identified the protein that plays a significant role in the development of lung disease - signaling that medical practitioners may potentially be able to isolate and prevent the onset of the disease in the near future.

In her article "Effect of TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway on lung myofibroblast differentiation" lead author Professor Zhu Yuan-Jue, from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital, looked into the pathogenic mechanism of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), or lung disease - as it is commonly known.

The researchers evaluated the role of the TGF-β1and Smad-3 proteins - identifying Smad-3 as the main mediator for TGF-β1 signaling in activating the human α-SMA gene expression in vitro.

Although TGF-β1 has been acknowledged as the main substance causing the proliferation of fibroblasts in the sick lung, differentiation of the myofibroblast is also an essential step towards countering lung disease.

Results of this published study suggest that TGF-β1/Smad3 is a major pathway which regulates myofibroblast differentiation, holding significant potential for future clinical trials and medical developments.

Dr. Zhu said, "We will utilize the results of this discovery to inhibit the Smad-3 cascade by working on enhancing the formation of reparative lung tissue."

"This may turn out to be a novel method of stopping the signaling pathway - thereby lessening the chances of contracting lung disease".

The findings in this study are not only relevant to the area of lung disease, but are also applicable to other organ fibrosis that could cause chronic diseases such as hepatic cirrhosis.

Professor Zhu Yuan-Jue is from the Peking Union Medical College Hospital and the Chinese Academy of Medical Science.

About Acta Pharmacologica Cínica

Acta Pharmacologica Sinica, published monthly, is the official journal of the Chinese Pharmacological Society and Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Journal welcomes current original research on all aspects of life sciences, both experimental and clinical, from any part of the world. Reviews based primarily on authors' own research of internationally important topics are especially welcome. Acta Pharmacologica Sinica was registered as an English international journal in 2000. http://www.chinaphar.com/1671-4083/online.htm

About Wiley-Blackwell

Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of the merger between Blackwell Publishing Ltd. and John Wiley & Sons, Inc.'s Scientific, Technical, and Medical business. Together, the companies have created a global publishing business with deep strength in every major academic and professional field. Wiley-Blackwell publishes approximately 1,250 scholarly peer-reviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal.

http://www.blackwellpublishing.com