Airway Mucus: Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Perspectives

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Although conceptually unsavoury, airway mucus is nevertheless vital to homeostasis in the respiratory tract. When abnormal, however, mucus contributes to the pathophysiology of severe bronchial diseases, such as chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, and asthma. This text covers both the scientific and clinical aspects of airway mucus. The introductory chapters cover the biochemical and molecular biological basis of airway mucus, and the text then examines the rheology and physiology of respiratory secretions. It then discusses the clinical aspects of the topic, with chapters discussing the involvement of mucus secretions in bacterial infections and hypersecretory diseases of the airway. The text concludes with a discussion of the therapeutic aspects of the topic, both in terms of the possible approaches to the treatment of mucus hypersecretion and the interaction of these drugs with airway mucus.