Don`t smoke while feeding the birds: new research on lung disease
Scientists are developing a method that could prevent lung infections in people who smoke, according to a paper presented today (Wednesday 18 September) at the Society for General Microbiology autumn meeting at Loughborough University. "We've used a human tissue model to show how we can prevent Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) bacteria from invading cells in the lungs. These bacteria attach themselves to mucus and damaged tissue lining the lungs, and often cause infections in people with existing lung diseases, such as those caused by smoking" says Dr Andrew Middleton, formerly of the Royal Brompton Hospital, London. MAC is closely related to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which cause