There is a pressing need to develop new treatments for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as no currently available drug therapy reduces the relentless progression of the diseases, chronic obstructive bronchitis and emphysema, falling under the umbrella of COPD. World-wide, 600 million people suffer from COPD, with some three million dying from the disease each year representing a globally market of US$2.8 billion US. There is a particular need to develop drugs that control the underlying inflammatory and destructive processes that cause COPD. There have been few therapeutic advances in the drug therapy of COPD. This contrasts to the enormous advances made in asthma management reflecting a much better understanding of the underlying disease. Although COPD is commonly treated with drugs developed for asthma, this is often inappropriate as the inflammatory process in COPD differs markedly from that in asthma. Recognition of the global importance and rising prevalence of COPD and the absence of effective therapies has now led to a concerted effort to develop new drugs for this disease. This recently prompted us to collaborate with Professor Peter Barnes (head of Throracic Medicine at the National Heart and Lung Institute, and one of the world's field leaders in COPD) to produce a major dossier "Therapeutic and pharmaceutical approaches to COPD" (click here for access). One of the targets addressed in this dossier was matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9. Destruction of lung elastin is critical for development of emphysema associated with COPD. Lung macrophages release elastolytic enzymes, including matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, along with tissue inhibitors of MMP (TIMP). Professor Barnes' group has recently published further evidence to support the targeting of MMP-9. Alveolar macrophages from smokers with COPD released greater amounts of MMP-9 with greater enzymatic activity than healthy smokers and non-smokers. In contrast, alveolar macrophages from non-smokers released more TIMP-1 than cells from healthy smokers and subjects with COPD. This study suggests that macrophages and the MMP-9/TIMP-1 that they produce might be important in the development of COPD.

Adapted from Russell et al, Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2002 May;26(5):602-9

Interested in collaborating with this group? Contact leaddiscovery@bioportfolio.co.uk