New therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

摘要

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a clinical syndrome characterized by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible, and a complex inflammatory process that involves inflammatory cells such as neutrophils, CD8+ T cells, macro-phages and eosinophils and mediators, enzymes, cytokines and so on.Treatment of COPD typically consists of smoking cessation and promotion of a healthy lifestyle, including physical exercise or rehabilitation on the one hand, and drug treatment with bronchodilators and anti-inflammatory drugs (mainly inhaled corticosteroids) on the other hand. Unfortunately, effects of currently used drugs in reducing symptoms and the number and severity of exacerbations, improving lung function, quality of life and survival are limited, and effective new drugs to treat COPD, preferably oral drugs that really moderate and reduce inflammation, are eagerly awaited.