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The Today's News

'Lung brush' to help fight diseases

ISLAMABAD: Scientists say the discovery of an internal "brush" that helps clear lungs of unwanted matter could help them understand more about lung diseases. A team from the University of North Carolina found that the brush-like layer pushes out sticky mucus and the foreign bodies it contains, BBC health reported. UK lung experts said the work aided understanding of how lungs function. The mucus, which helps collect inhaled pollutants, emerges as a runny nose and a wet cough. The researchers used imaging techniques to examine what was happening within the lungs. They were able to see a dense meshwork of human bronchial epithelial cell cultures. The brush-like layer consists of protective molecules that keep sticky mucus from reaching the cilia and epithelial cells, thus ensuring the normal flow of mucus. Dr Michael Rubinstein, who led the study, said: "The air we breathe is not exactly clean, and we take in many dangerous elements with every breath. "We need a mechanism to remove all the junk we breathe in, and the way it's done is with a very sticky gel, called mucus, that catches these particles and removes them with the help of tiny cilia, the cilia are constantly beating, even while we sleep." This research helps our understanding of how this system works, and of the complex mechanisms deep within our lungs which protect us from the atmosphere we breathe in.