Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator. Implications in Cystic Fibrosis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have traditionally been viewed as two distinct entities of unrelated origins. However, molecular, cellular, and clinical studies have revealed that cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein dysfunction is common to both conditions, one (CF) being defined genetically and the other (COPD) as an acquired CFTR deficiency. Multiple molecular mechanisms of cigarette smoke-induced CFTR dysfunction have been reported. More importantly, considerable evidence of cigarette smoke-induced CFTR dysfunction in several respiratory and nonrespiratory tissues have been confirmed, making CFTR a target that cannot be overlooked in our quest to understand COPD and improve therapies for individuals affected by this disease. This review summarizes the molecular, cellular, and clinical evidence that CFTR dysfunction is induced by cigarette smoke exposure both in vitro and in vivo, and explores how this may contribute to the development of COPD.