Protein involved in cystic fibrosis also plays role in emphysema, chronic lung disease

A team of Johns Hopkins Children's Center researchers has discovered that a protein involved in cystic fibrosis also regulates inflammation and cell death in emphysema and may be responsible for other chronic lung diseases. The findings, published online in the December issue of the Journal of Immunology, pave the way toward new treatments to prevent lung damage caused by infections or cigarette smoke in emphysema.