Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 30, 2024 3 days, 3 hours ago
Medical News: Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a serious, chronic condition that progressively scars the lungs, making it harder for patients to breathe over time. This disease often leaves individuals struggling with breathlessness and reduced quality of life. Despite decades of research, current medications like nintedanib and pirfenidone only slow the disease's progress, and they work differently for every patient. Thus, scientists worldwide are on a quest to find better treatments. One promising candidate emerging from this research is a compound called 3'5-Dimaleamylbenzoic Acid (3'5-DMBA).
New Hopes for Treating Lung Fibrosis
This
Medical News report explores recent research on 3'5-DMBA, its mechanisms, and its potential to change the treatment landscape for IPF. The research was conducted by scientists from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Autonomous University “Benito Juárez” of Oaxaca, in collaboration with CONAHCYT in Mexico.
What Makes 3'5-DMBA Special?
The compound 3'5-DMBA belongs to a group of chemicals called maleimides, known for their diverse biological effects. In earlier studies, this molecule was found to significantly reduce lung scarring in animal models of IPF, specifically those with damage induced by bleomycin. These observations led researchers to further investigate how this molecule works at the cellular and molecular levels.
Study Details and Key Findings
The research team began by identifying genes and proteins involved in IPF using public databases and laboratory tools. They then compared this information to molecular targets linked to 3'5-DMBA, identifying 57 common targets. Among these targets were several proteins central to the process of cell death, or apoptosis, and others involved in fibrotic signaling pathways.
By utilizing advanced computer modeling techniques such as molecular docking, the scientists discovered how 3'5-DMBA binds to and potentially inhibits key proteins. These proteins include caspases - enzymes that play a crucial role in apoptosis - and other molecules linked to fibrosis, such as MCL-1 and PARP1. The research also showed that 3'5-DMBA interferes with the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, which regulates cell growth, survival, and differentiation.
Why This Matters
Apoptosis is an essential process for clearing damaged or unwanted cells from the body. In IPF, this process goes awry: while normal lung cells die prematurely, the fibrotic cells responsible for scarring resist apoptosis. By targeting proteins involved in this imbalance, 3'5-DMBA may help restore a healthier cellular environment in the lungs. Furthermore, its action on the PI3K-Akt pathway suggests it could prevent the overproduction of scar tissue components like collagen.
Another striking finding was the compound’s interaction with MCL-1 and PARP1. MCL-1 is an anti-apoptotic protein, and its overexpression in IPF protects fibrotic cells from dying. PARP1, meanwhile, promotes fibrosis
through mechanisms linked to DNA repair and energy metabolism. By modulating these proteins, 3'5-DMBA addresses critical drivers of lung scarring.
Advantages Over Existing Drugs
The research also highlighted that 3'5-DMBA may offer some advantages over existing IPF drugs. For instance, it showed higher predicted bioavailability, meaning it could be absorbed and utilized more effectively in the body.
Additionally, its predicted safety profile was promising, with a lower risk of toxic side effects compared to nintedanib and pirfenidone.
Conclusions
The findings from this study suggest that 3'5-DMBA could revolutionize the way IPF is treated. By directly targeting the mechanisms driving fibrosis and improving the balance of cell death and survival in the lungs, this compound offers hope for more effective and personalized treatments.
The potential of 3'5-DMBA does not stop with IPF. Its ability to regulate key cellular processes may make it applicable to other diseases involving fibrosis, such as liver or kidney scarring. However, before this molecule can become a standard treatment, further studies are needed to confirm its efficacy and safety in humans. These studies will involve laboratory experiments, clinical trials, and collaborations with other institutions to understand its full potential.
The study findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal: Drugs and Drug Candidates.
https://www.mdpi.com/2813-2998/3/4/48
For the latest on Lung Fibrosis, keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News.
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/alpinia-officinarum-extract-as-a-potential-treatment-for-lung-fibrosis-
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-is-not-mild-as-most-will-develop-lung-fibrosis-10-percent-of-all-lung-transplants-in-u-s-now-go-to-post-covid-patients
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/russian-researchers-find-that-vitamin-d-can-help-combat-lung-fibrosis
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/pirfenidone-brings-hope-for-fibrotic-interstitial-lung-diseases
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/the-uniqueness-of-post-covid-lung-fibrosis-the-increased-expression-of-atp12a-protein
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/vitamin-e-can-help-with-lung-fibrosis
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-covid-19-news-44-9-percent-of-post-covid-individuals-develop-lung-fibrosis-irrespective-of-asymptomatic-or-mild-infections-jn-1-is-worse
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-news-sars-cov-2-triggers-epidermal-growth-factor-receptor-signaling-pathway,-leading-to-lung-fibrosis-and-lung-cancer-erlotinib-helps
Share
Tweet
Share
