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Scientists have regenerated damaged lung tissue in the laboratory, offering the possibility of significant relief for emphysema sufferers.

Emphysema is the focus of research by Drs. Gloria and Donald Massaro. These innovative scientists recently made a major breakthrough by discovering that induced emphysema can be reversed in laboratory animals by treatment with retinoic acid. Donald Massaro is the Cohen Professor of Pulmonary Research and Director of the Lung Biology Laboratory at Georgetown University Medical Center. Gloria Massaro is Professor of Pediatrics at Georgetown. Both scientists are Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute Senior Fellows working with LRRI scientists in Albuquerque while retaining their positions at Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Emphysema is a chronic, incurable lung disease that afflicts nearly 2 million people in the U.S., and is responsible for 17,000 deaths per year. A small number of people with emphysema have a rare inherited form of the disease called early onset emphysema; but, smoking is the culprit in the majority of cases. Emphysema advances very gradually, usually after years of exposure to the irritation of cigarette smoke. Shortness of breath is usually the first symptom; as the disease progresses, activity can become severely limited.

The function of the lungs is to exchange fresh oxygen for carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. It does this through millions of tiny air sacs called alveoli, which are formed only during childhood. In emphysema, a chemical reaction breaks down the delicate walls of the alveoli, creating spaces or “holes” in the lung tissue. As these holes become larger and larger, the lungs lose their elasticity and become distended and hyper-inflated, making normal breathing impossible.

No treatments today can reverse the destruction of the alveoli, or cause them to regenerate. They are permanently lost. Current medical care for emphysema can only ease symptoms, by giving additional oxygen, treating respiratory infections, and giving medication to prevent heart failure. Today, the only way to reverse the disease is through lung transplantion, an extreme treatment limited by the number of healthy lungs available for transplant.

The Massaros’ research focuses on the problem of lung tissue regeneration. They have induced regeneration of damaged lung tissue in adult animals by the application of retinoic acid, opening the way for a whole new field of research into the uses of this class of compound to treat or cure emphysema. While much more testing remains to be done and funding for this work is sorely needed, the Massaros’ research offers hope for victims of this disease. Their research may also lead to treatments for fetal and neonatal lung disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.