What is it about?
Th17 cytokines are messengers controlling the inflammation and the response to bacterial infection in the lung. We and other groups have showed that among these factors, cigarette smoke exposure increased the production of interleukin (IL)-17 which is involved in the development of the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In contrast, the production of IL-22 (another Th17 cytokine) in response to pathogenic bacteria is altered in the patients suffering from this disease and this at least in part explains the susceptibility to infection in these patients. These discoveries open the way for new therapeutic tools for this incurable disease.
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Why is it important?
COPD is still a chronic incurable lung disease frequently leading to the death of the patient after a long death throes. The drugs presently used for this disease only treat the symptoms and at best, can slow down the progression of the disease. We hope that our findings will lead to offer new therapeutic tools able to prevent and/or to stop the progression of the disease.
Perspectives
In our laboratory, we are now working on this topic in order : 1) to decipher the mechanisms responsible for the altered production of these factors and 2) to identify efficient tools able to control or to restore the production of these factors. For this, the collaboration of pharmaceutical laboratory is strongly desirable.
Philippe Gosset
Institut Pasteur de Lille
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Th17 cytokines: novel potential therapeutic targets for COPD pathogenesis and exacerbations, European Respiratory Journal, October 2017, European Respiratory Society (ERS),
DOI: 10.1183/13993003.02434-2016.
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