Washington, Dec 20 : Scientists have found that lostartan, a drug used widely in the clinic to treat high blood pressure, reduced lung disease in mice caused by exposure to cigarette smoke.

The discovery by Enid Neptune and colleagues, at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, provides hope for the development of therapies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

COPD is among the most common causes of death in the US. It is a smoking-related disease for which there are currently no disease-altering therapies.

Losartan blocks the protein angiotensin receptor type 1, and its effects on cigarette smoke–induced lung injury were a result of the fact that blocking angiotensin receptor type 1 leads to a decrease in levels of the soluble molecule TGF-beta.

The authors therefore suggested that other TGF-beta–targeted therapeutics might also be viable candidates for the treatment of COPD. (ANI)