Publication highlights

A collaboration between the Antimicrobial Defence Laboratory, led by Venizelos Papayannopoulos, and Joanna Porter, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at UCL and Consultant at UCLH, has found that a drug commonly used to treat cystic fibrosis improved outcomes for patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. This drug could be used to treat other respiratory infections in the future. The study found that the drug dornase alfa reduced hyper-inflammation in COVID-19 pneumonia patients, which occurs when the body’s immune system reacts too strongly and can lead to tissue damage and death. The next step will be to conduct larger clinical trials to ensure dornase alfa is safe and effective for treating severe COVID-19 pneumonia. There is also potential for the drug to be trialled for other respiratory infections and conditions.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease, estimated to be the third biggest killer worldwide (WHO). Researchers at the Crick investigated a gene associated with COPD risk called FAM13A. They found that FAM13A exists in short and long forms in humans and that only the longer form can act as an enzyme in specialised ‘multiciliated’ cells in the airway. These cells contain projections called cilia whose coordinated beating moves mucus out of the lungs. By genetically removing the long form of FAM13A in human cell cultures that resemble the air-exposed lining of airways, the team showed that FAM13A is necessary for coordinating cilia movement. In an additional experimental model for multiciliated cells, they reduced Fam13a expression in Xenopus (frog) embryos, which also led to defects in cilia activity. This research could inform why mutations in the FAM13A gene are linked to COPD in humans.