October 19, 2011   Smoking seems to have a similar effect on the lungs as cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease affecting the lungs and organs, and some of cystic fibrosis treatments might benefit smokers, according to new study published in the FASEB Journal. Researchers found that like cystic fibrosis, smoking leads to the production of a sticky mucus that causes dry cough and potentially fatal infections. They found that when lung cells exposed to cigarette smoke were treated with hypertonic saline (a treatment for cystic fibrosis), the amount of liquid covering them increased to more normal levels and reduced the amount of mucus in the lungs. “We hope this study will highlight the importance of airway hydration in terms of lung health and that it will help provide a road map for the development of novel therapies for the treatment of smoking-related lung disease,” said study author Robert Tarran. Dr. Gerald Weissman, editor and chief of the journal, concluded “But the bottom line remains: The most effective treatment for smoker’s cough, or worse, is to quit smoking, now.”

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