Chitinase administration to the airway to treat inflammation and age-related pulmonary fibrosis
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsRichard Locksley, Steven Van Dyken
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Abstract
Herein is demonstrated that expression of the enzyme chitinase in the lungs of animals is protective against adverse chitin-mediated inflammation and that with impaired chitinase expression, various inflammatory pathways are enhanced, contributing to conditions such as fibrotic lung disease. Further, it is shown that the prevention and treatment of pulmonary fibrosis and other improvements to lung health are achieved by administration of chitinase to the lungs. Additionally, methods of assessing chitinase activity in the lungs provide a novel diagnostic measure of lung health.
Claims6
A method of preventing or treating pulmonary fibrosis in a subject by degrading inhaled chitin oligomers in the airway of the subject;
- comprising administering to the airway of the subject a pharmaceutically effective amount of a chitinase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.