Prospects for a new synthetic surfactant.
Physiologically active artificial surfactants can be made from lipids and analogs of SP-C and SP-B, the latter serving as cross-linking peptides promoting the formation of a surface-associated surfactant reservoir. Artificial surfactants can probably be tailored to maximize resistance to inactivation by meconium and plasma proteins by modifying the amino acid sequence of the protein analogs or adding non-ionic polymers to the final product. Comparative clinical trials are required to evaluate the efficacy of these new artificial surfactants in various forms of neonatal lung disease.
Robertson
B
B
Division for Experimental Perinatal Pathology, Department of Woman and Child Health, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Curstedt
T
T
Johansson
J
J
D000818:Animals; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D011510:Proteolipids / Q000502:physiology; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology
D011510:Proteolipids; D011663:Pulmonary Surfactants