Proteases, antiproteases and other inflammatory mediators associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

The overarching aim of this research project was to identify novel proteins that may contribute to the protease-antiprotease imbalance within COPD.<br><br>Both preliminary and validation investigations identified a reduction in the protein and gene levels of another serpin, serpin A5, within COPD airway samples relative to healthy counterparts. As serpin A5 has never been reported within the lung environment initial characterisation studies successfully confirmed the presence of the protein using a variety of techniques including immunohistochemistry, western blotting and immunofluorescence microscopy.

Investigations into the potential function and role of serpin A5 within the airways were also conducted. Identification of novel target proteases of serpin A5 confirmed that the inhibitor could potently inhibit a variety of protease activities documented to have a role within the lungs and/or lung pathobiology. <br> <br>Overall, the identification of serpin A5 as a novel antiprotease which appears to have some importance in the pathogenesis of COPD warrants further investigation to determine if it has any potential as a means of aiding earlier diagnosis, similar to alpha1 anti-trypsin.

Serpin A5 holds the potential to contribute to better patient stratification and disease diagnosis in the future leading to a more efficacious and targeted approach to the therapeutic management of COPD.<br>