10801
0
Posted on Oct 04, 2002, 6 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
A recent discovery by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh could lead to new treatments for people with lung problems. Dr Marina Kameneva and her colleagues found that they could significantly increase the lung capacity of rats by injecting them with a small concentration of a solution of blood-soluble drag-reducing polymers (DRPs).
A recent discovery by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh could lead to new treatments for people with lung problems. Dr Marina Kameneva and her colleagues found that they could significantly increase the lung capacity of rats by injecting them with a small concentration of a solution of blood-soluble drag-reducing polymers (DRPs). Tests revealed that the solution enhanced oxygen delivery around the body, so much so that people would be able to survive at altitudes where oxygen availability is so low that it would kill most people. As well as having obvious uses for mountain climbers, the researchers are confident that the solution could be used to treat people suffering from respiratory distress or respiratory failure.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.bbc.co.uk on the 20th July 2002
