Bacterial Protein Fragment Linked to Pulmonary Fibrosis; Antibody Shows Promise in Blocking Damage
Source Summary
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Mie University discovered that a bacterial protein fragment called corisin drives pulmonary fibrosis by infiltrating cells and disrupting their quality-control systems. The study, published in Nature Communications, found that blocking corisin with an antibody impeded the damage caused by the protein.
Why it matters
Identifying corisin as a driver of pulmonary fibrosis and demonstrating that antibody treatment can block its effects provides a potential therapeutic target for treating this serious lung disease.
