title: Front-runners for pharmacotherapeutic correction of the airway ion transport defect in cystic fibrosis.
abstract: Although cystic fibrosis (CF) patients display multiorgan dysfunction (e.g. pancreas, gut, and lung) it is lung disease that is the leading cause of premature death in these patients. CF lung disease is characterized by persistent pulmonary infection and mucus plugging of the airways initiated by the failure of solute transport across the airway epithelium. Many drug therapies aim to alleviate the secondary characteristics of CF lung disease; however, new therapies in development are targeted at correcting the ion transport deficiency of CF. The goal is to hydrate airway surfaces by stimulating secretion (through activation of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator and calcium-activated chloride channels), and/or inhibiting absorption (through the epithelial sodium channel) thereby stimulating healthy mucociliary clearance. If mucociliary clearance can be stimulated sufficiently from an early age, then there is the possibility that secondary lung infection may be eradicated from the syndrome of CF disease.
authors.affiliation: Cystic Fibrosis/Pulmonary Research and Treatment Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States.
authors.forename: Mark T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Clunes
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Boucher
mesh_terms: D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator / Q000235:genetics; D003845:Deoxycytosine Nucleotides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D017136:Ion Transport / Q000187:drug effects*; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D008353:Mannitol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014529:Uridine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D003845:Deoxycytosine Nucleotides; C477246:Moli1901; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator; D008353:Mannitol; C465279:denufosol tetrasodium; D014529:Uridine