The Need for New Biological Targets
While multiple medications under development for COPD are focusing on the inflammatory pathways, they are not expected to reverse the lung damage. For this reason, it is important to study the upstream pathways that may help to identify strategies to reverse exiting lung damage, including targets that can lead to lung repair and regeneration.
These potential breakthrough targets may include treatments directed against mitochondrial dysfunction; structural integrity of airway epithelium such as proteins that comprise tight junctions or the extracellular matrix; various ion channels that are responsible for airway hydration; and pro-regenerative strategies, including stem cell and tissue-engineering treatments to repair lung damage.
