Lung

Humans have bitter taste receptors not only in their mouths but in their lungs, too. Researchers have exploited these receptors’ innate ability to dilate the airways to create a potent new drug that may change how we treat diseases like asthma and COPD.

If there's one thing that the past few years have made us of aware of, it's the danger of respiratory viruses. An inhalable powder may one day help temporarily protect against them, by working with the natural layer of mucus in users' lungs.

A case study has tracked, for the first time, the movement of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from a patient's gut microbiome to their lungs. The research presents the first direct evidence of this transmission pathway taking place in hospital patients.

It's assumed that as we get older our health will deteriorate. Our bodies age, wrinkles form, metabolism slows, and our immune system weakens. But how much of what we consider to simply be natural aging is actually due to preventable environmental factors?

After decades of research a long-awaited vaccine against RSV is close after preliminary Phase 3 data revealed maternal immunization with a new vaccine delivered extraordinary protection from severe disease in babies across their first months of life.

New research indicates exposure to low levels of a flavoring chemical called diacetyl in combination with a mild case of influenza can cause serious lung damage, so those with occupational exposure should be cautious of working while unwell.

People with cystic fibrosis are vulnerable to potentially fatal Mycobacterium abscessus lung infections, which are notoriously difficult to treat. A new treatment may succeed where others have failed, however – and it utilizes antibacterial honey.

Asthma is usually managed by treating symptoms, but new research shows a potential way to target a root cause of the disease. A molecule prevented structural changes in the airways of asthmatic mice and eliminated their symptoms in weeks.

Ordinarily, the lung function of patients with respiratory problems is monitored via a stethoscope, during a visit to a clinic. An experimental new vest, however, can do the same job throughout the day, wherever its wearer goes.

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.