Several organs are able to regenerate following injury but currently there is no effective treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). New research may have uncovered the biochemical signals that can trigger regeneration of the lung alveoli.
Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College suggest that humans “have the potential to regenerate their lung alveoli…” The difficulty is finding the trigger that would start the process of regeneration and the researchers have found molecular triggers in mice which initiate the generation of new alveoli.
It is hoped that the study could lead to the administration of therapeutic factors to induce lung regeneration in patients with COPD and other chronic lung diseases.
The tiny air sacs of the lungs where gas exchange takes place
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A disease of long duration generally involving slow changes.
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An abbreviation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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The basic unit of genetic material carried on chromosomes.
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