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The COPD pipeline

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery volume 13, pages 253–254 (2014)Cite this article

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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the fifth leading cause of death in the world, is a progressive disorder associated with chronic inflammation of the airways and lungs. COPD is linked to a cumulative exposure to risk factors, primarily tobacco smoke but also environmental pollutants. The disease is characterized by structural changes that result in a narrowing of the small airways, ultimately causing airflow limitation. Both parenchymal destruction, termed emphysema, and small airway disease, referred to as chronic bronchitis, contribute towards these changes to varying degrees in each patient. Such airway remodelling is considered irreversible.

The underlying inflammation in COPD is characterized by elevated levels of neutrophils, macrophages and T lymphocytes. Various cytokines, chemotactic factors and other mediators have also been implicated in this process.

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Figure 1: The COPD pipeline.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. GBI Research, Bolton, BL1 2AH, UK

    Yasser Mushtaq

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  1. Yasser Mushtaq
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Correspondence to Yasser Mushtaq.

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The author declares no competing financial interests.

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Mushtaq, Y. The COPD pipeline. Nat Rev Drug Discov 13, 253–254 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrd4254

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