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RESEARCHERSSYNTHESIZE I,TATERIAIJESSENTIAIJ FOR IJUNG FUNCTTONi
UAY AIJIJEVIATE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS SYNDROI{E
LA JOLLA, cALrF.
Research
and
an essential
prevents
premature
An
rn
the
begin
TSRIts
right
to
rate
rrlt' s
synthetic
Cochrane
months,
The scripps
complete
keeps
a
air
major
to
for
surfactant
the
form
of
sacs
open
kirler
of
die
of
adults
that
to
have
that
this
clinical
TSRrts
provides
that
who acquire
may be enough
Drug
the
will
research
company with
the
compound.
distress
the
two
to
of
trials
10 year
Lung Association,
or
is
M.D. and
Federar
studies
adding that
respiratory
one
cochrane,
investigational
& Johnson
works
Immunology.
hopes
He added
Arnerican
surfactant
by chartes
of
and comrnercialize
possible
says.
which
synthetic
TSRr
for
year.
babies
mortality
the
Department
Johnson
license
According
at
a
syndrorne,
Cochrane says,
next
with
premature
how
approval
material,
agreement
material
issue of science
coming
early
synthesized
distress
of
in today's
Adrninistration
synthetic
lung
scientists
and adults.
explanation
Susan Revak of
L99L
have
respiratory
babies
pubrished
25t
(TSRI)
Institute
surfactant,
oct.
disease
25 percent
syndrome;
is
a baby
the
50 percent.
adrninistrations
allow
of
to
of
the
recover,
rl
PAGE 2 --
the
THE SCRIPPS RESEARCHINSTITUTE
Human surfactant
is
rast
pregnancy.
months
expansion
of
of
the
lungs
expiration.
Annuarry
babies
without
born
syndrome
because
result,
they
carbon
neither
annuarry
surgical
Normal
the
took
an interest
determined
appeared
that
to play
their
Iateral
stability
keep air
of
strength
how it
of the layer
rrWe were also
can be produced
able
to
sinply
coats
to
a
remove
15O,OOO
incruding
injury,
Iungs
become
phospholipids
role
the
inner
during
lining
of the
and Revak
substance.
protein-B
in working
of
exhalation.
Cochrane
surfactant
with
They
(sp-B)
surfactant
sacs open.
the
two
phospholipid
functioned
within
that
sp-B
alveoli
by
resists
increasing
layer.
at
sP-B
alveolirrr
a mimic of the
and inexpensively
structure
phospholipids
with
the pulmonary
synthesize
note
pulmonary
of
chemists r we looked
determine
As
about
composed of
components
article,
the
distress
able
adults'
on surfactants,
carred
and collapse
rrAs protein
to
they
science
tension
is
by lung celIs,
protein
are
reasons,
which
research
premature
lost.
the most important
to
surface
able
is
during
lungs.
strikes
When the
during
allowing
39rooo
their
the lung from collapsing
of
one
expand
of
in
respiratory
disease
disease.
act,ivity
in the
phospholipids
rn
the
a fetus
colrapse
about
enough oxygen nor
a variety
secreted
years
four
their
to
unable
of
essential
are
or
and prevents
lung,
In
is
is
develop
hurnan surfactant,
and proteins,
rt
lungs
surfactant
for
surfactant
the
country,
adults,
manipulation
inflamed,
this
receive
In
in
preventing
and
in
they
dioxide.
Americans
developed
for
and were
to
Cochrane says.
SP-B protein
potential
produce
which
therapeutic
PAGE 3 -use.
THE SCRIPPS RESEARCETNSTITUTE
Trials
shown it
with
to
be highly
Pending
Revak,
l!.D.,
along
with
University
of
university
of
neonatal
country
synthetic
effective.
FDA approval
University
with
this
for
their
of
investigational
California,
california,
at
in
Davis;
rrvine,
plan
several
major
####
monkeys have
studies,
Cochrane and
associates,
San Diegop
and Europe.
fetal
rl
crinicar
California,
patients
surfactant
and
to
T.
Allen
Merritt,
Gregory
Heldt,
M.D.,
Mikko
HaIIman,
M.D.,
begin
clinical
clinical
centers
trials
in
this
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PHOTO CAPTION
THE SCRIPPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
LA JOLLA, CALfF.
Oct.
25,
totally
synthetic
surfactant
1991 -- The
has been made
and adrninistered
to premature
monkeys.
The
graph demonstrates
its effectiveness.
This
monkey was maintained
on artificial
ventilation
for 28 hours after
cesarean
delivery
and remained critically
sick as
poor lung function.
shown by extremely
However, shortly
after
the synthetic
surfactant
was given at 28 hours of life,
Iung function
rapidly
improved,
reaching
the
normal rangle.
The baby monkey, which was
pink and began
ashen gray and still,
turned
wiggling
and grasping
with its hands and
feet,
typical
of normal babies.
peptide Surfactanton Lung
Effect of Synthe_tic
Function
in prematureNeonatalMonkey
tr
€
0.5
tr
g
0.4
G
I<
f,lb o.o
o
x
o
!t
0.2
s
0.1
severc RDS
14
16
18
20
Hours
22
24
26
28
30
32
34
36
PHOTO CAPTION
THE SCRTPPS RESEARCH TNSTITUTE
LA JOLLA, CALIF. Oct. 25' L99L
the air sacs, or
which lines
Surfactant,
is composed of protein
alveoli
of the lungs,
Both components of
and phospholipids.
for keeping the air
surfactant
are essential
oxygen and other gases can
sacs open so that
This figure
reach the blood stream.
SP-B, or a synthetic
represents
the protein,
mirnic of SP-B, lhown as orange arches and
yellow
shown
and the phospholipids,
squares,
white side
with straight,
as wtrite circles
the portions
of
ctrains.
In the experiments,
by the yellow
the protein
represented
charges,
squares, which bear strong positive
charges
with negative
v/ere found to interact
of the phospholipids;
located
in the circles
of the proteins
and the orange arch-portion
rigid
with the straight-Iine,
to interact
These
side chains of the phospholipids.
and the
interactions
between the protein
phospholipids
for
were found to be essential
surfactant
The researchers
have
activity.
which
synthesized
a mimic of the protein,
to the SP-B protein
and
acts identically
phospholipid,
which, together
with synthetic
replacement
of
may serve as a therapeutic
surfactant
in babies and adults with
syndrome.
distress
respiratory