Novel Therapeutic Target for Treating Lung Disease

INVENTORS 

Ankit Bharat*

Yuanqing Yan

SHORT DESCRIPTION

A novel protein target for treating chronic and acute lung diseases

ABSTRACT

Lung diseases caused by pulmonary fibrosis can be fatal, and the currently approved drugs for treating pulmonary fibrosis, including Nintedanib and Pirfenidone, only slow down the disease progression. Northwestern researchers have identified the protein serine protease inhibitor Kazal-type 1 (SPINK1), a trypsin kinase inhibitor, as a new therapeutic target for treating lung diseases. Single-cell transcriptome profiling revealed an aberrant epithelial cell subset and monocyte-derived macrophages that play a significant role in pulmonary indications. The over-expression of SPINK1 were observed from patients with chronic and acute lung diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis, COVID-19, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic lung allograft dysfunction. Preclinical studies in mice show that SPINK1 can trigger collagen accumulation and fibrosis progression in lung tissues. By administering an agent that modulates or inhibits the expression of SPINK1, this method serves as a viable novel target for treatment of acute and chronic lung diseases.

APPLICATIONS

• Target for the treatment of acute and chronic lung diseases

ADVANTAGES

• Viable for treating multiple lung indications
• Precise targeting of pathological cell types

PUBLICATIONS

None

IP STATUS

Provisional patent application filed.