Lung surfactant can treat respiratory illness

A recent study discovers molecular properties of lung surfactants can lead to better treatments for respiratory illnesses.

Both human and animal lungs naturally produce a surfactant, a substance consisting of lipids and proteins that coats the lungs and decreases the surface tension as we inhale and exhale, making it easier to breathe.

A team led by University of Minnesota Twin Cities engineering researchers has analyzed the fundamental properties and structures of lung surfactant—a naturally occurring substance that helps human and animal lungs expand and contract—that could eventually help scientists develop better treatments for respiratory illnesses.

The researchers found that the surfactants organize as equilibrium structures, meaning that if the crystalline parts of the molecules change shape and grow as pressure increases, they have the ability to go back to their original shape if that pressure is removed. This is a fairly rare occurrence, as monolayers typically don't return to their original structure once it's altered.

"We can use basic materials science theories, like instabilities and equilibrium, to try to understand how the lung surfactant actually works, which will ultimately help us formulate the next generation of clinical surfactant materials" said Joe Zasadzinski, senior author on the paper and a professor in the University of Minnesota Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.

#cardiology #healthcare #respiration

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