Nanoparticles “wiggling” through mucus may predict severe COPD
In a proof-of-concept experiment, researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have successfully used microscopic man-made particles to predict the severity of patients’ chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by measuring how quickly the particles move through mucus samples. The technique, say the researchers, could eventually help doctors deliver more effective treatments sooner.
“If further studies verify our findings, nanoparticles could establish early which patients with COPD are more likely to need more intensive interventions to avoid adverse outcomes,” says Enid Neptune, M.D., associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, who partnered with Justin Hanes, Ph.D., and Jung Soo Suk, Ph.D., from the Center for Nanomedicine at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins.