COPD

Definition

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a progressive inflammatory lung disease characterized by persistent airflow limitation and respiratory symptoms. It encompasses emphysema and chronic bronchitis, primarily caused by long-term exposure to irritants like cigarette smoke. COPD involves complex pathophysiology including chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, protease-antiprotease imbalance, and airway remodeling. The disease affects over 300 million people worldwide and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Key molecular mechanisms involve inflammatory mediators (IL-8, TNF-α), matrix metalloproteinases, neutrophil infiltration, and mucus hypersecretion. Understanding COPD's multifactorial nature is crucial for developing targeted therapeutics and identifying biomarkers for early diagnosis and disease progression monitoring.

Visualize COPD in Nodes Bio

Researchers can map COPD's complex molecular networks by visualizing interactions between inflammatory cytokines, proteases, oxidative stress markers, and structural lung proteins. Network analysis reveals central hub genes, identifies novel therapeutic targets, and illustrates how environmental triggers cascade through signaling pathways. Users can integrate multi-omics data to understand disease heterogeneity and visualize drug-target interactions for repurposing candidates.

Example Use Case

A pharmaceutical team investigating anti-inflammatory therapeutics for COPD uses network analysis to map relationships between 50 upregulated genes in patient lung tissue samples. By visualizing protein-protein interactions and pathway enrichment, they identify MAPK14 as a central hub connecting IL-6, TNF-α, and MMP-9 pathways. The network reveals that inhibiting this kinase could simultaneously reduce inflammation and prevent tissue degradation, leading to prioritization of p38 MAPK inhibitors for clinical development and identification of potential biomarkers for patient stratification.

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