Lung

Researchers have discovered a new type of cell in the human lung. Named respiratory airway secretory cells (RASCs), they seem to play a role in regenerating other cells and could be a target for new treatments for lung diseases like COPD.

Scientists have discovered bitter taste receptors in the walls of blood vessels in the lungs. The unexpected find could be an important new drug target to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a dangerous complication of many diseases.

A thin new robot developed at the University of Leeds designed to diagnose and treat cancer takes the shape of a tentacle, which can be magnetically guided into the depths of the lungs to inspect suspicious lesions or deliver drugs.

Matching blood types from donor to recipient is a major problem in organ donation. Researchers have now developed an enzyme treatment to convert donated organs to the universal O blood type, allowing them to be safely transplanted into any patient.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a nasty bacteria that can cause pneumonia. It’s a tough one to fight, but now researchers have developed an inhalable vaccine that, in mouse tests, can invoke a strong immune response against several strains of the bacteria.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung condition involving excessive scarring that affects patients’ breathing, and currently can’t be cured. But now, scientists have found a way to reverse the condition in mice, using a drug already available for other uses.

A new type of imaging tech has detected lung damage not visible on MRI or CT scans in patients suffering from the long-term effects of COVID-19. The technology will help clinicians understand the breathing impairments seen in long COVID.

A new study has delved into the kind of damage microplastics can cause to human lungs, with researchers observing changes to the shape of lung cells and a slowdown in their metabolism and growth when exposed to these tiny plastic particles.

In the largest and longest follow-up study to date investigating the lingering effects of COVID-19, researchers have found more than two-thirds of hospitalized patients report at least one ongoing symptom six months after contracting the disease.

A new study is the first to investigate the relationship between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the gut microbiome. The preliminary investigation confirms patients suffering from COPD present with changes to microbial populations in the gut.

Cancer spreads easily, and a common location for secondary tumors to appear is the lungs. Now, scientists at Harvard’s Wyss Institute have developed a way to treat metastatic tumors in the lungs, by attaching immune-baiting drugs to red blood cells.

A proof-of-concept study proposes a novel, cheap and surprisingly simple way to rapidly reduce blood alcohol levels. The research suggests a low-tech device aiding safe hyperventilation can more than triple the rate of alcohol elimination from the body.