Hope to extend the life of cystic fibrosis patients

At the European Cystic Society conference in Sweden, scientists introduced a drug called OligoG, extracted from marine algae, that could help prolong life (compared to the average). 40 years old today) in people with cystic fibrosis.

For a long time, the cause of cystic fibrosis (CF - a genetic disease) has been identified as a mutation of a gene called CFTR . This is the gene responsible for creating grooves on the mucous membranes of cells to control the transport of the fluid to / from the cell membrane. Therefore, the CFTR gene mutation means that this process is congested, affecting the lungs, liver, pancreas and many other organs. The danger is that most patients suffer from pancreatic dysfunction and chronic lung disease.

In some cases, the liver is more severely affected than the lungs. Therefore, patients must be treated according to a special regimen to control complex complications.

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden) said the new drug OligoG contains an active ingredient called alginate (a starch extracted from a Norwegian seaweed). The drug works by binding to the calcium component in the mucous layer of patients with CF to control the disease.

The team thinks this way will reduce lung damage and inflammation, helping patients reduce dependence on antibiotics. In the trial conducted on 26 patients in the UK, the inhaled OligoG drug was proven safe and had no side effects.

" OligoG is the first and only pharmaceutical product to be used in this direction," said team member Anna Ermund. However, experts say they need to conduct more large-scale tests before OligoG is officially available in the market, expected in the next 3 years.