Role of lipoxin a4 in bronchiectasis

Bronchiectasis is a chronic disabling condition, where patients suffer daily cough, sputum production and recurrent chest infections. There is an ongoing cycle of infection and inflammation in the airways with two-thirds of patients being infected at all times, leading to more inflammation. The inflammation that occurs is meant to clear the infection from the airways but in bronchiectasis this does not occur. LXA4, a natural lipid, is an important agent that in health switches off this process of inflammation. This research offers a potential new non-antibiotic target to help treat patients with bronchiectasis as there are very few effective treatments available for this condition.