Methods, Compounds, and Compositions For Treatment and Prophylaxis in the Respiratory Tract

A method of limiting an increase in the quantity of mucus in the respiratory tract of a subject above a baseline level of mucus in said subject's respiratory tract, comprising:

• administering to the subject a compound or composition comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a fusion protein, wherein
• the fusion protein comprises at least one catalytic domain of a sialidase, wherein the catalytic domain of the sialidase comprises the sequence of amino acids extending from amino acid 274 to amino acid 666 of SEQ ID NO:12, inclusive, and at least one anchoring domain, wherein the anchoring domain is a glycosaminoglycan (GAG) binding domain of human amphiregulin comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:7;
• and
• the therapeutically effective amount comprises an amount of the fusion protein that limits an increase in the quantity of mucus in the respiratory tract of said subject above a baseline level after administration of the compound or composition.

A method, comprising:

• (a) administering a collection of compounds or compositions comprising sialidase(s) and/or catalytically active portion(s) thereof to an animal model of asthma;
• (b) quantitating the level of mucus in the lung of the animal;
• (c) comparing the level measured in (b) with the level of mucus in the lung of the animal prior to administering the collection of compounds or compositions;
• and
• (d) identifying or selecting a compound or composition that reduces the level of mucus relative to the level of mucus in the absence of the compound or composition.

A method, comprising:

• (a) administering a compound or composition comprising a sialidase and/or a catalytically active portion thereof to an animal model of asthma;
• (b) quantitating the level of mucus in the lung of the animal;
• (c) comparing the level measured in (b) with the level of mucus in the lung of the animal prior to administering the collection of compounds or compositions;
• and
• (d) identifying whether the compound or composition reduces the level of mucus relative to the level of mucus in the absence of the compound or composition.

A method of assessing whether a compound or composition comprising a sialidase and/or catalytically active portion thereof reduces the quantity of mucus in the respiratory tract of a subject, comprising:

• (a) contacting the muscarinic receptors of an animal subject with a compound or composition comprising a sialidase and/or a catalytically active portion thereof;
• (b) administering a muscarinic receptor agonist to the subject;
• (c) quantitating the airway resistance in the subject;
• (d) comparing the airway resistance level measured in (c) with the airway resistance in the absence of contact with the compound or composition;
• (e) identifying whether the compound or composition reduces the airway resistance relative to the airway resistance in the absence of contact with the compound or composition;
• and
• (f) if the compound or composition reduces the airway resistance as determined in (e), assessing the compound or composition as one that reduces the quantity of mucus in the respiratory tract of the subject.