A promising approach to COPD

[gerald]

There are two articles posted here which, on further review, are appearing to refer to the same research being down at two different universities.

I posted this cross reference as the results look promising, and it has passed a small human trial with only minor short lived  side effects.

The topic of Senolytic drugs may be worth monitoring.

Two Articles

1.  Activated PMN exosomes are pathogenic entities that cause destruction in the COPD lung - University of Alabama at Birmingham

2. First-in-human trial of senolytic drugs encouraging - UT Health San Antonio researchers,

        collaborating with the Mayo Clinic and the Wake Forest School of Medicine

Both research teams are dealing with the affect of damaged cells.  Apparently rather than dying these cells become toxic to cells around them.  The process of causing the damage is call cellular senescence.  The affect is shown to drive multiple age related diseases including Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, Emphysema, and other chronic diseases.

They have developed a series of drugs call Senolytics and these target the cellular Senescence. In animal studies they have manage to clear the toxic cells that cause IPF in Mice.

In a small human trial, 14 people, received two different senolytic drugs, taken by mouth for  three consecutive days, for three consecutive weeks. Al patients were able to complete the regimen.

The comments about the trial were: 

The most consistent improvements following senolytic therapy were observed in participants' mobility. The six-minute walk test, timed sitting-to-standing repetitions and other measures were significantly improved after completion of the treatment. The majority of patients exhibited mobility gains of greater than 5 percent. Other physical function markers, including grip strength and pulmonary function testing, did not change.

[skate4life]

Very interesting. The human results seem to be effecting the large muscle groups versus small ones (hand grip.) While most people improve with better oxygenation and utilization of their muscles, exercise per se does not reverse so pul function does not change, like they found.

But I do find interesting that this can knock out the bad cells, what fills in the space?

[gerald]

The other thing the studies do not state was how long the people were followed and whether the benefit receded over time.

So is it a treatment, or a cure.

There did not seem to state a firm next step in either study.