New MIS Procedure May Improve Quality of Life For Emphysema Patients

New MIS Procedure May Improve Quality of Life For Emphysema Patients November is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Awareness Month. COPD, also known as emphysema, is the third leading cause of death in the United States, only behind heart disease and cancer. Right now, the only studied interventions that prolong life for patients with severe COPD are supplemental oxygen in people with low oxygen levels and lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) in appropriately selected individuals. But, there is a new investigational, minimally invasive treatment that pulmonologists are hoping will provide the same benefits as having major surgery. "This could be a game changer for individuals living with emphysema," says Ravi Kalhan, MD, pulmonologist and director of the asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) program at Northwestern Medicine. "This FDA approved trial is an important step forward for the COPD community. We need to test novel therapies that may improve the lives of people living with COPD, and our program at Northwestern is thrilled to offer participation in this study to our patients." One of the major reasons that people living with COPD feel breathless when they do things is called lung hyperinflation. This is when too much air gets stuck in the lungs of individuals with emphysema. It occurs because under normal circumstances, the lungs are like a balloon – they are rubbery and elastic, and when air goes into them, their natural response is to deflate and let the air back out. With emphysema, the lungs lose their elasticity so the deflation is diminished. LVRS works by surgically removing the most severe areas of emphysema from the lung so that the other areas, which do not have as much diminished elasticity, can work more efficiently. At Northwestern, a study is being started to investigate whether an experimental device can achieve these similar benefits. The RePneu Lung Volume Reduction Coil (RePneu LVRC®) System (PneumRx, Inc., Mountain View, CA) is a less invasive device intended to improve the lung function in patients suffering from emphysema. The coil is made of metal and implanted in the airways of the lung. It works by squeezing the diseased portions of the lung, and by doing so, the coil creates more room for the healthier areas of the lung to expand and function better. "Our goal with this new, investigational procedure is for patients to receive the same benefits as if they had major surgery," said Colin Gillespie, MD, pulmonologist and director of interventional pulmonology at Northwestern Medicine. "The hope is that patients with emphysema will have an improved quality of life, better exercise capacity and improved lung function at substantially less risk." see more info on this method

Is Some Lung Regeneration Possible

New Lung Tissue Growth Discovered:

 Is Some Lung Regeneration Possible?

Lung regeneration has never been thought possible in adults. But Steven Mentzer et al from Brigham and Women’s at Harvard reported a case of a 33 year old woman who had an apparent 64% increase in the number of functioning alveoli in her left lung, during 15 year follow-up after a right pneumonectomy in 1995 for adenocarcinoma (despite her young age, she had a 30+ pack-year smoking history).


Although existing lung parenchymal tissue was known to expand after lung resection, in adults this was thought to occur through dilation of existing alveoli and supporting tissues, not de novo growth of new alveoli. However, experiments in dogs suggested lung regeneration was possible, and so researchers turned their attention to closely following this patient and her lung function after her surgery.
The woman described had an initial FEV1 of 35% and FVC of 49% after pneumonectomy. But for 15 years, steady improvements in her spirometry resulted in a final FEV1 of 60% and FVC of 73%. (According to expectations, she should have had about a 10% decline over 15 years, due to aging.) Her left lung grew larger and larger on annual surveillance CT scans, partially herniating into the right hemithorax.

The authors used experimental MRI scan techniques (diffusion of inhaled hyperpolarized helium-3 gas) to determine alveolar dimensions. Larger alveoli look different than smaller alveoli with this technique, owing to differences in “clumping” of concentrated gas molecules.

The authors speculated that the woman’s young age at the time of surgery and active lifestyle with vigorous exercise including cycling, walking, and yoga in the years following surgery may have contributed to the growth of lung tissue, saying:

“We hypothesize that, reminiscent of the role of stretch in lung development, cyclic stretch as such may be an important trigger for new lung growth. Regardless of the specific mechanism, the findings in this patient support the concept that new lung growth can occur in adult humans.”


see the complete article on lung regeneration



James P. Butler et al. Evidence for Adult Lung Growth in Humans. NEJM 

new clinical trial treatment for emphysema

 new clinical trial treatment for emphysema 


Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham injected a foam sealant into the lungs of a former smoker on Oct. 29, 2012, to treat his worsening emphysema.

 He was the first patient in the United States treated in a late-stage clinical trial of the AeriSeal System. The therapy, approved for use in parts of Europe and Israel, is undergoing investigation in the U.S. as a potential method of reducing lung volume in patients with severe emphysema.


 see more info on AeriSeal System

Emphysema: Stopping Progression and Reversing Damage

Information provided by Boston University Medical Center - Published: 2012-09-01
BUSM researchers find potential key to halt progression, reverse damage from emphysema - A study led by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) has shown that a compound used in some skin creams may halt the progression of emphysema and reverse some of the damage caused by the disease. When the compound Gly-His-Lys (GHK) was applied to lung cells from patients with emphysema, normal gene activity in altered cells was restored and damaged aspects of cellular function were repaired.


The study, which is published in BioMed Central's open access journal Genome Medicine, also demonstrates the potential impact of using genomic technologies to identify new possible treatments for diseases using existing drugs and compounds.


 click to read the complete article




Citation: Disabled World News (2012-09-01) - Research finds compound used in some skin creams may halt the progression of emphysema and reverse damage caused by the disease: http://www.disabled-world.com/health/respiratory/emphysema.php#ixzz25X95BQ17