A study conducted through Queen’s University has developed a drug described as a ‘magic bullet’ to be used in the treatment of lung injury. The drug’s success could potentially become the first treatment of its kind to be used in intensive care cares.
While the news is encouraging, reports also indicate the findings are potentially three years away from becoming clinically evaluated. The findings from University scientists pertain to the discovery of a certain particle able to bind to specific blood cells in relation to lung damage.
The ‘magic bullet’ itself is a new drug referred to as a nanoparticle. The smaller structure literally enables patients the ease of inhaling it, sending the drug directly to the source of inflammation in the lungs. Its development is a noteworthy step toward finding a solution for Acute Lung Injury (ALI).
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After the patient afflicted with ALI inhales the nanoparticle, the drug latches on to specific cells in the lungs and rapidly reduces the inflammation. As the drug continues its own development, it may similarly be utilized in cases of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Cystic Fibrosis, disorders classified throughout the lungs.