Proteomic study of acute respiratory distress syndrome: current knowledge and implications for drug development

ABSTRACT

The acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common cause of acute respiratory failure, and is associated with substantial mortality and morbidity. Dozens of clinical trials targeting ARDS have failed, with no drug specifically targeting lung injury in widespread clinical use. Thus, the need for drug development in ARDS is great. Targeted proteomic studies in ARDS have identified many key pathways in the disease, including inflammation, epithelial injury, endothelial injury or activation, and disordered coagulation and repair. Recent studies reveal the potential for proteomic changes to identify novel subphenotypes of ARDS patients who may be most likely to respond to therapy and could thus be targeted for enrollment in clinical trials. Nontargeted studies of proteomics in ARDS are just beginning and have the potential to identify novel drug targets and key pathways in the disease. Proteomics will play an important role in phenotyping of patients and developing novel therapies for ARDS in the future.

KEYWORDS:

• ARDS
• therapy
• phenotype
• proteomics
• inflammatory

Financial & competing interests disclosure

AJ Rogers has been supported by grant number K23 HL 125663-01. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.