Faculty Research Advisor: Dr. David Blake

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide and affects more than 210 million people. Your lung structure breaks down making it difficult to breathe. There are two clinical manifestations of COPD: Chronic bronchitis, defined by a long-term cough with mucus Emphysema, defined by destruction of the lungs over time Most people with COPD have a combination of both conditions.

Pathology of COPD in the lung In emphysema, the walls between many of the air sacs (alveoli) are damaged, causing them to lose their shape leading to fewer and larger air spaces. If this happens, the amount of gas exchange in the lungs is reduced. Inflammation due to cigarette smoke drives the tissue breakdown

Treatment There is no cure for COPD. Patients with COPD must stop smoking to stop the disease. This is the only way to slow down lung damage. Medications used to treat COPD include: Inhalers (bronchodilators) to open the airways, such as ipratropium (Atrovent), tiotropium (Spiriva), salmeterol (Serevent), or formoterol (Foradil) Inhaled steroids to reduce lung inflammation Antibiotics are prescribed during symptom flare ups, because infections can make COPD worse

Sulforaphane a possible therapy to slow COPD progression Sulforaphane is found in broccoli and may reduce lung damage in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Sulforaphane Sulforaphane restores antioxidant gene expression Sulforaphane has anti-inflammatory properties Sulforaphane increases the activity of enzymes, which protects cells from damage caused by toxins (CS). Enhancing antioxidant levels may reduce the effects of inflammation in COPD