title: Emerging drugs for acute lung injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute respiratory distress syndromes (ARDS) are devastating disorders of overwhelming pulmonary inflammation and hypoxemia, resulting in high morbidity and mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  The main pharmacological treatment strategies have focused on the attempted inhibition of excessive inflammation or the manipulation of the resulting physiological derangement causing respiratory failure. Additionally, such interventions may allow reduced occurence mechanical ventilation injury. Despite promising preclinical and small clinical studies, almost all therapies have been shown to be unsuccessful in large-scale randomized controlled trials. The evidence for pharmacological treatment for ARDS is reviewed. Potential future treatments are also presented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest for future clinical trials addressing prevention and early intervention to attenuate lung injury and progression to respiratory failure.
authors.affiliation: University of Messina, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences , Viale Ferdinando Stagno D'Alcontres n°31 98166 Messina , Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Impellizzeri
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bruschetta
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cuzzocrea
mesh_terms: D055371:Acute Lung Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D018450:Disease Progression; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
keywords: acute respiratory distress syndrome; inflammation; pharmacotherapy