Composition and method for treating the over-production of mucin in diseases such as otitis media using an inhibitor of MUC5AC

摘要

Disclosed herein is a method for the identification of a treatment for overproduction of mucin during otitis media (OM) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The method uses a MUC5AC plasmid to identify novel cytoplasmic proteins of Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae, a common mediator of OM and COPD, which up-regulate human MUC5AC mucin transcription via a positive p38 MAP kinase pathway and a negative PI 3-Kinase-Akt pathway. These proteins can be used to identify or design inhibitors of the p38 MAP kinase pathway and activators of the PI 3-kinase Akt pathway.