Skip to content
Home page - Centenary Institute Centenary Institute

Primary menu

  • Research
        • Research

          The latest medical research into our most complex health challenges across cancer, cardiovascular disease and inflammation

          Learn more

        • Cancer
        • Inflammation
        • Cardiovascular
        • Programs
        • Laboratories
        • Diseases
        • Expertises
        • Services and instrumentation
  • Support us
        • Support us

          By supporting the Centenary Institute you can help improve human health through excellence in medical research

          Learn more

        • Workplace giving
        • Host or join a fundraiser
        • Gift in your Will
        • Donate in Memory
  • Impact
        • Impact

          Our research develops new diagnostics, treatments and cures for some of the most deadly and debilitating diseases affecting society today

          Learn more

        • Breakthroughs
        • Community and research
        • Real stories
  • Health hub
        • Health hub

          A range of practical information to assist in the possible preventions to disease through evidence-based research on how the body works.

          Learn more

        • Inflammation
        • The Good Gut Anti-Inflammatory Diet
        • Ageing
        • Exercise Snack Program
  • News & events
        • News & Events

          Explore the latest research breakthroughs and ways you can take part in our series of digital and in-person events

        • News
        • Events
        • Media Hub
  • About us
        • About us

          We are world-leading independent medical research institute that drives collaboration to accelerate and translate solutions to our most complex health challenges

          Learn more

        • Governance
        • Corporate information
        • Annual reports
        • Our researchers
        • Careers and studies
        • Contact
  • Donate
    Centenary Institute > News > Cell death discovery could lead to new treatment for COPD

Cell death discovery could lead to new treatment for COPD

Date time 16 June, 2021
News Type News type Media release
Research shows that inhibiting necroptosis, a form of cell death, could be a novel therapeutic approach for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatory lung condition, also known as emphysema, that makes it difficult to breathe.

Research shows that inhibiting necroptosis, a form of cell death, could be a novel therapeutic approach for treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatory lung condition, also known as emphysema, that makes it difficult to breathe.

Published in the prestigious ‘American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine’, the study by a team of Australian and Belgian researchers, revealed elevated levels of necroptosis in patients with COPD.

By inhibiting necroptosis activity, both in the lung tissue of COPD patients as well as in specialised COPD mouse models, the researchers found a significant reduction in chronic airway inflammation as well as damage to the lung.

Professor Phil Hansbro (pictured), Director of the Centenary UTS Centre for Inflammation who led the research team, said that necroptosis was a form of cell death known to drive tissue inflammation and destruction.

“Necroptosis, apoptosis and necrosis are all forms of cell death but they operate in distinctly different ways. Significantly, in necroptosis, a cell bursts, dispersing its contents into nearby tissues resulting in an immune and inflammation response.”

“Our research suggests that inhibiting necroptosis and preventing this inflammation response may be a new therapeutic approach to treating COPD,” said Professor Hansbro.

Joint first author on the study, Dr Zhe Lu, a researcher at the University of Newcastle, said that their study was the first of its type to be able to distinguish between the roles of necroptosis and apoptosis in COPD.

“Necroptosis is generally pro-inflammatory. Apoptosis, however, tends to be non-inflammatory as it’s a more ordered form of cell death–a cell self-degrades as opposed to bursting and there’s no leakage of cell contents. This may explain why, in our study, it’s the inhibition of necroptosis and not apoptosis that reduces lung damage and COPD associated inflammation,” said Dr Lu.

A debilitating respiratory condition and a leading cause of death worldwide, there are currently no treatments that halt or reverse the progression of COPD.

“Our research suggests that it is the type of cell death associated with COPD that is important and that the development of new drugs that can interfere or intervene in the necroptosis process could be a new targeted therapy for this common lung disease,” said Professor Hansbro.

The study was led by researchers from the Centenary Institute, University of Technology Sydney, University of Newcastle, Ghent University, Belgium and Ghent University Hospital, Belgium.

[ENDS]

Publication: Necroptosis Signalling Promotes Inflammation, Airway Remodelling and Emphysema in COPD. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Themes

  • Inflammation

    Inflammation

People

  • Professor Philip Hansbro

    Deputy Director, Centenary Institute. Director, Centenary UTS Centre for Inflammation

Media enquires

For all media and interview enquiries, please contact Tony Crawshaw, Media and Communications Manager

Phone number Phone Number 0402 770 403

Email Email t.crawshaw@centenary.org.au

Media Release

Download

Recent Stories

  • Metastatic cancer research boosted

    Dr Dannel Yeo from the Centenary Institute and Clinical Associate Professor Kate Mahon from Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, have been awarded an inaugural Sydney Cancer Partners Translational Fellowship.
    News Type: Research News
    Date 03 Mar 2023
  • The Year That Made Me: Professor John Rasko

    Professor John Rasko AO, Head of the Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Program at the Centenary Institute has featured on the popular Radio National show Sunday Extra in the segment called ‘The Year That Made Me’.
    News Type: Media coverage
    Date 21 Feb 2023
  • Top abstract prize for gene therapy research

    Professor John Rasko AO and team have received the top scoring abstract award at the 16th Annual Congress of the European Association for Haemophilia and Allied Disorders in Manchester.
    News Type: Research News
    Date 15 Feb 2023
  • Event celebrates ‘The Good Gut Anti-Inflammatory Diet’

    The Centenary Institute has celebrated the publication of a new book, 'The Good Gut Anti-Inflammatory Diet’ at a special event, held at the Dymocks Bookstore, Sydney.
    News Type: Community
    Date 13 Feb 2023

Subscribe to receive news on
research updates and free events

Newsletter

The Centenary Institute is a world-leading independent Medical Research Institute.

We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the Country on which the Centenary Institute stands.

About

  • About
  • Governance
  • Corporate information

Research

  • Programs
  • Our researchers
  • News
  • Media hub

Careers & studies

  • Career opportunities
  • Life at Centenary

Links

  • Contact
  • Privacy statement

Contact us

Building 93, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Missenden Rd
Camperdown NSW 2050 Australia
Telephone +61 2 9565 6100
Fax +61 2 9565 6101

Centenary Institute ABN 22 654 201 090 (DGR 1) • Centenary Institute Medical Research Foundation ABN 85 778 244 012 (DGR 2)
© 2017 Centenary Institute of Cancer Medicine and Cell Biology.

  • Linkedin
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Instagram