Pharmacologic restoration of ΔF508 CFTR-mediated chloride current

• Published in: Kidney international Vol. 57; no. 3; pp. 832 - 837
• Main Author: ZEITLIN, P. L
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Nature Publishing 01.03.2000
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Butyrates - pharmacology; Chloride Channels - metabolism; Chloride Channels - physiology; Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator - genetics; Electric Conductivity; Errors of metabolism; Humans; Medical sciences; Metabolic diseases; Miscellaneous hereditary metabolic disorders; Mutation - physiology; Protein Processing, Post-Translational - drug effects; Temperature; Human; Intracellular transport; Pathophysiology; Respiratory disease; Metabolic diseases; Chlorine ion; Cystic fibrosis; Ionic channel; Gene expression; Genetic determinism; Genetic disease; Membrane transport; Phase I trial; Digestive diseases; Membrane channel; Endoplasmic reticulum; Pancreatic disease
• ISSN: 0085-2538; 1523-1755
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1523-1755.2000.00922.x

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal inherited disorder caused by over 800 different mutations in the CFTR gene. The most common mutation, delta F508, causes a trafficking arrest in the endoplasmic reticulum and the CFTR protein is degraded. Restoration of CFTR trafficking in vitro restores cAMP-mediated chloride transport at the cell surface. The hypothesis of this discussion is that the short chain fatty acids, butyrate and 4-phenylbutyrate, up-regulate mature CFTR at the plasma membrane. Evidence that these compounds regulate CFTR production and maturation in part through effects on molecular chaperones in CF cells in culture is discussed. The oral drug, 4-phenylbutyrate, was tested in a Phase I clinical trial in CF subjects and further trials are underway. Other new therapeutic approaches directed at different classes of mutations in CFTR are also discussed. Chemical and pharmacologic agents that regulate endogenous gene expression at different steps in the biosynthetic processing pathway of a membrane glycoprotein will be needed to comprehensively treat a complex inherited disorder like cystic fibrosis.