Amoeba Biology Reveals Potential Treatment Target for Lung Disease
Illustration of cilia and surface hydration among normal airway cells and those affected by cigarette smoke.
Newswise In a series of experiments that began with amoebas single-celled organisms that extend podlike appendages to move around Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say they have identified a genetic pathway that could be activated to help sweep out mucus from the lungs of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease a widespread lung ailment.
“Physician-scientists and fundamental biologists worked together to understand a problem at the root of a major human illness, and the problem, as often happens, relates to the core biology of cells,” says Doug Robinson, Ph.D., professor of cell biology, pharmacology and molecular sciences, medicine (pulmonary division), oncology, and chemical and biomedical engineering at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.