[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/12355\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EBreathing easier \u2013 nature-inspired treatments could relieve acute respiratory distress\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2014, Professor Kai Zacharowski, Director of the Clinic for Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy at the Goethe University Hospital of Frankfurt, Germany, was treating a particularly complicated case of an Ebola patient in acute\u0026nbsp;respiratory distress.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the man\u2019s condition worsened, Zacharowski reached for a new experimental drug \u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:\u0026quot;Calibri\u0026quot;,sans-serif;font-size:11.0pt;line-height:107%;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-GB\u0022\u003E\u2013\u003C\/span\u003E a molecule naturally occurring in the human body (FX06) \u003Cspan style=\u0022font-family:\u0026quot;Calibri\u0026quot;,sans-serif;font-size:11.0pt;line-height:107%;\u0022 lang=\u0022EN-GB\u0022\u003E\u2013\u003C\/span\u003E that he hoped could stabilise the patient. The intervention worked. An outcome that was both professionally inspiring and personally fulfilling.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We were able to save the life of a human, a father and a colleague,\u2019 said Zacharowski.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPandemic connection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis experience came to Zacharowski\u2019s mind several years later when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. His department at the hospital was responsible for treating the largest number of Covid-19 patients in the Hesse region of Germany.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThanks to funding from the EU, a large-scale multi-country research effort was formed to try to understand how this same treatment could be used to prevent Covid infection progressing to its severest and most life-threatening form: acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/101045956\u0022\u003ECOVend\u003C\/a\u003E project, led by Zacharowski, began in the midst of the pandemic in November 2021. Researchers set out to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and systems biology to better understand how FX06 works in individual patients and determine its therapeutic value as an effective drug, with no known side-effects, for use in the fight against Covid-19.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We are optimistic that our research will provide unprecedented insights into ARDS,\u2019\u0026nbsp;said Zacharowski.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWider reach\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research team\u2019s mission didn\u2019t stop there, however. Although Covid-19 drew attention to this very frightening condition, it can be triggered by a variety of factors, including bacterial or viral infection, sepsis, trauma, surgery or blood transfusions. It can also be caused by inhalation of toxic fumes or liquid.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, no effective therapy exists for ARDS and it is a difficult condition for intensive care wards to manage.\u0026nbsp;The COVend researchers\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/covend-project.eu\/clinical-trial-2\/\u0022\u003Eestimate\u003C\/a\u003E that there are between 30\u0026nbsp;000 and 120\u0026nbsp;000 cases of ARDS in the EU every year, and that it accounts for around 10% of all intensive care admissions. It also has a very high in-hospital mortality rate of up to 45%.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAcute respiratory distress occurs when fluid builds up in the air sacs (alveoli) of a patient\u2019s lungs, preventing them from filling properly with air and stopping oxygen getting into the body, often with fatal consequences. Patients who survive often suffer permanent scarring to their lungs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018ARDS is a devastating condition that not only has a high mortality rate, but also results in a long recovery for many survivors,\u2019 said Zacharowski.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENatural protection\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFX06 is a protein fragment naturally present in the human body which binds to the cells lining the blood vessels, helping to protect them.\u0026nbsp;The drug can potentially reduce the mechanical cause of ARDS \u2013 when fluid from very small blood vessels leaks into surrounding tissue, including the alveoli.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EARDS is a devastating condition that not only has a high mortality rate, but also results in a long recovery for many survivors.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EProfessor Kai Zacharowski, COVend\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\nThe COVend research team have successfully put together\u0026nbsp;the first\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/covend-project.eu\/clinical-trial-2\/\u0022\u003Eclinical trial\u003C\/a\u003E for the use of FX06 on mild and moderate ARDS cases.\u0026nbsp;They are currently recruiting around 260 patients in France, Germany, Lithuania, Romania and Spain. Results are expected sometime in early to mid-2026.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe aim is to identify which patients will benefit most from being treated with FX06. To do this, the COVend team are profiling hundreds of molecules in patients\u2019 blood and using AI to study their role in disease progression.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018This is a fascinating molecule because it can be used in so many ways,\u2019 says Dr Petra W\u00fclfroth, COVend innovation officer and chief scientific officer at F4 Pharma, an Austrian biopharmaceutical company that is a partner in the project.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research carried out could also prove useful for possible future pandemics as the treatment is directed at a condition that could be set off by a range of different pathogens.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018My dream would be to see this molecule used in intensive care whenever the permeability of small blood vessels is increased \u2013 a potentially life-threatening situation.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBreathing like a bird \u2013 or fish\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, in the absence of an effective pharmaceutical intervention,\u0026nbsp;ARDS patients are often given oxygen or placed on a ventilator to assist their breathing. In severe cases, their blood can be oxygenated outside their body using a technique known as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese treatments can, however, have severe side-effects on the patient. With ECMO there is a risk of infection or clotting, while prolonged use of a ventilator can damage lung tissue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Margit Gf\u00f6hler, who teaches biomechanics and rehabilitation engineering at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) in Austria, is leading an EU-funded project called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/101130006\u0022\u003EBioMembrOS\u003C\/a\u003E that will run for three and a half years until mid-2027.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003ENature has bioengineered the most efficient solutions to life\u0026#039;s challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EProfessor Margit Gf\u00f6hler, BioMembrOS\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether with her colleague at TU Wien, Michael Harasek, a specialist in chemical engineering and membrane science, they are coordinating an international research effort to develop an alternative respiratory assistance device inspired by the natural, and highly efficient, breathing mechanisms of fish and birds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We need completely different approaches if we want to develop new devices for respiratory support that don\u2019t have the problems we see with current options,\u2019 she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen we breathe, oxygen moves from the lungs to the bloodstream through the alveoli and a network of tiny blood vessels called capillaries. At the same time, carbon dioxide passes from the blood to the lungs so that it can be expelled from the body when air is exhaled.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis process is known as gas exchange \u2013 and it is severely compromised in ARDS when the alveoli are flooded. Gas exchange allows the body to replenish oxygen and eliminate carbon dioxide, both of which are necessary for survival.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENovel membrane\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe BioMebrOS team, which brings together researchers from Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal and South Africa, are working on developing a novel membrane structure based on the structural design of birds\u2019 lungs, which exchange gas more efficiently than those of mammals. They will also incorporate certain aspects of fish gill respiration, namely their surface contact with fluids.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe idea is to create a device with a membrane that both removes carbon dioxide from the patient\u2019s blood as it passes through and infuses it with oxygen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Nature has bioengineered the most efficient solutions to life\u2019s challenges,\u2019 said Gf\u00f6hler. \u2018By adopting the structural and functional characteristics of the most evolved gas exchangers, we will create a radically improved technology.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first goal of the BioMembrOS researchers is to develop a small, testable prototype of this membrane structure and test its efficiency in in-vitro blood tests.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The overall goal for the future would be to make it so efficient and small that we could implant it in the patient,\u2019 said Gf\u00f6hler, who hopes that devices incorporating their membranes will be available for patients within the next decade.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECovid-19 may have helped to draw public attention to the significant suffering caused by ARDS, but the challenge is far wider.\u0026nbsp;ARDS is seen in huge numbers of patients worldwide \u2013 and respiratory diseases are the third largest cause of death in the EU.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhether through research into new molecular drugs or improving the way we build medical ventilators, more research is needed to reduce the distress caused to patients around the world. Nature may prove to be an important ally.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch in this article was funded by the EU\u2019s Horizon Programme including, in the case of BioMembrOS, via the European Innovation Council (EIC). The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-ma5dn4mi1zcrpkcr5-wvvzjqmx2kmauxiwjhfulfbvi\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-ma5Dn4MI1zCrpkcR5-wvVzjQmX2KMAUXIWjHfULFbvI\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]