Pulmonary Research: Stress-fighting proteins could be key to new treatments for asthma ♦ Next anti-tuberculosis drug ♦ Telomeres linked to origins of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Telomeres linked to origins of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Researchers have now discovered that telomeres, the structures that protect the chromosomes, are at the origin of pulmonary fibrosis. This is the first time that telomere damage has been identified as a cause of the disease.

.First trial of gene therapy for cystic fibrosis to show beneficial effect on lung function  For the first time gene therapy for cystic fibrosis has shown a significant benefit in lung function compared with placebo, in a phase 2 randomized trial. The technique replaces the defective gene response for cystic fibrosis by using inhaled molecules of DNA to deliver a normal working copy of the gene to lung cells

Stress-fighting proteins could be key to new treatments for asthma Investigators have discovered the precise molecular steps that enable immune cells implicated in certain forms of asthma and allergy to develop and survive in the body. The findings reveal a new pathway that scientists could use to develop more effective treatments and therapies for the chronic lung disorder

The next anti-tuberculosis drug may already be in your local pharmacy Testing thousands of approved drugs, scientists have identified an unlikely anti-tuberculosis drug: the over-the-counter antacid lansoprazole (Prevacid). Tuberculosis continues to be a global pandemic, second only to AIDS as the greatest single-agent killer in the world. In 2013 alone, the TB bug Mycobacterium tuberculosis caused 1.5 million deaths and almost nine million new infections.