METHODS FOR TREATMENT AND DIAGNOSIS OF PULMONARY DISEASES BASED ON THE EXPRESSION OF SERCA2 PROTEIN

摘要

The present invention is directed to methods of treatment of cystic fibrosis. The invention includes a method for treatment of cystic fibrosis in a patient by increasing the activity of sarcoendoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) in a patient. More specifically, the step of increasing SERCA activity can include but is not limited to, administration of SERCA protein or its homologues, gene therapy to restore or enhance SERCA activity, or the administration of compounds stimulating the activity of endogenous SERCA. Reference herein to SERCA, can include in preferred embodiments, the isoform SERCA2, which is the principal lung isoform of SERCA. The present invention is based on the finding that SERCA2 (a calcium pump) is deficient (not 100%) in the lung epithelial cells of cystic fibrosis samples.