Mucus Hypersecretion in Respiratory Disease (PDF)

A number of chronic respiratory diseases including chronic
bronchitis, asthma, cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis are
characterized by mucus hypersecretion. Following damage to the
airway epithelium, a repair process of dedifferentiation,
regenerative proliferation and redifferentiation takes place that
is invariably accompanied by mucus hypersecretion as a key element
in the host defence mechanism. In chronic respiratory diseases,
however, excessive mucus production leads to a pathological state
with increased risk of infection, hospitalization and morbidity. An
understanding of the mechanisms that underlie and maintain this
hypersecretory phenotype is therefore crucial for the development
of rational approaches to therapy.

Despite a high and increasing prevalence and cost to healthcare
services and society, mucus hypersecretion in chronic respiratory
disease has received little attention until recently, probably
because of the difficulties inherent in studying this pathology.
Only in the last few years have some of the genes involved in mucus
secretion been characterized. The recent availability of genomic
sequence information and specific antibodies has led to an
explosion of interest in this area making this publication
particularly timely.

This book draws together contributions from an international and
interdisciplinary group of experts, whose work is focused on both
basic and clinical aspects of the problem. Coverage includes
epidemiology, airways infection and mucus hypersecretion, the
genetics and regulation of mucus production, models of mucus
hypersecretion, and the implications of new knowledge for the
development of novel therapies.