Antifungal Medicine Likely To Treat Cystic Fibrosis

According to a recent study by Prof Martin D. Burke of University of Illinois, an antifungal medication Amphotericin can also be used for treatment of cystic fibrosis to battle the persistent bacterial lung infections that are common in this disease. Details of the study which have been published in journal Nature state encouraging results. The researchers used lung tissue of people that were suffering from cystic fibrosis and also from animal models to see how the antifungal drug would enable changes in the tissue. They found out that amphotericin induced changes in the lung tissue and led to improvement in lung function.

Amphotericin was also responsible for restoration of pH levels, increasing antibacterial activity and for improvement of viscosity. The study group explained that people can administer the medication directly to their lungs go reduce side effects. The problem of cystic fibrosis is present from birth and people with this condition have a problematic protein which impacts their cells, tissues and glands that are responsible for making sweat and mucus. Thickened mucus builds up within affected organs of people with cystic fibrosis that can lead to infection and damage in these areas that can sometimes become life threatening.

It can sometimes also cause inflammation and infect primary organs like lungs and pancreas. Though the disease can affect varied organs digestive tract and others it can cause severe complications in the lungs leading to breathing issues and bacterial infections due to accumulation of mucus. Even with availability of treatments permanent relief is not possible as every patient has his/her own form of mutated proteins. The primary treatment methodology of this issue is to slow down progression of the disease as much as possible which can now be done more effectively with amphotericin. This form of treatment would be most valuable for 10 % of patients that do not make affected protein as they do not respond to available treatment of the disease.

About: Akash Gokhe