Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: patho-physiology, current methods of treatment and the potential for simvastatin in disease management

Laura Marin, Paolo Colombo, Mary Bebawy, Paul M. Young, Daniela Traini

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

51 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a severe disease that leads to a non-reversible obstruction of the small airways. The prevalence of this disease is rapidly increasing in developed countries, and in 2020 it has been predicted that this disease will reach the third cause of mortality worldwide. COPD patients do not respond well to current treatment modalities, such as bronchodilators and corticosteroids.

Areas covered: This review article focuses on the patho-physiology of COPD, explores current approaches to alleviate and treat the disease, and discusses the potential use of statins for treatment. Specifically, the mechanism of action and metabolism of simvastatin, the most known and studied molecule among the statin family, are critically reviewed.

Expert opinion: Various cellular pathways have been implicated in COPD, with alveolar macrophages emerging as pivotal inflammatory mediators in the COPD patho-physiology. Recently, emerging anti-cytokine therapies, such as PDE4 inhibitors and ACE inhibitors, have shown good anti-inflammatory properties that can be useful in COPD treatment. Recently, statins as a drug class have gained much interest with respect to COPD management, following studies which show simvastatin to exert effective anti-inflammatory effects, via inhibition of the mevalonic acid cascade in alveolar macrophages.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1205-1220
Number of pages16
JournalExpert Opinion on Drug Delivery
Volume8
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • COPD
  • HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors
  • mechanism of action
  • metabolism
  • simvastatin

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