Mount Sinai Study Explores Novel Therapy to Enhance the Lungs’ Defense System

Juan Sabater, MD, Director of Pulmonary Research and Associate Vice President of Research at Mount Sinai Medical Center’s Semyon and Janna Friedman Advanced Research Institute, co-authored a peer-reviewed study that examines a novel inhaled dry-powder formulation built from natural compounds, designed to support mucociliary clearance.

Mucociliary clearance is the lungs’ primary mechanism for removing pollutants and pathogens from the airways. So, the study explores whether supporting the body’s own clearance machinery could one day help offset part of an increasing burden.

The research arrives as communities across the country, including South Florida, contend with wildfire smoke, urban air pollution, and rising levels of fine particulate matter. Long-term exposure to poor air quality has been associated with reduced lifespan and with a range of cardiovascular, respiratory, and cognitive health effects.

“During smoke events, the lungs’ natural clearance system has to work even harder at a job it is already performing around the clock—and for many people, that system is already under significant strain,” said Dr. Sabater. “What drives this research is the possibility of developing more natural and effective interventions that help the lungs clear harmful particles while reducing the side effects associated with existing treatments”

In preclinical models, the formulation restored impaired mucus clearance, returning it to roughly 80% of its normal rate. A separate 28-day inhalation safety study found no adverse effects at any dose tested, with a safety margin more than 11 times the level projected for human use.

“South Florida families are breathing the effects of wildfires and pollution that begin thousands of miles away, and our responsibility is to stay ahead of what that means for their health,” said Gino R. Santorio, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mount Sinai Medical Center. “Research like this is how we do that, and it is why we keep investing in the science happening inside our own walls.”

To learn more about clinical trials and research at Mount Sinai Medical Center, click here.