Overview

Remarkably, despite a surface area nearly the size of a tennis court, the lungs are typically capable of defending themselves against inhaled pathogens.  However, during times of immunocompromise (cancer, transplant, elderly, etc.), an unusual pathogen (pandemic), or a particularly aggressive pathogen (bioterror attack) it would be beneficial to boost the innate immune system of the lungs to fight against an infection and prevent the spread of the disease.

Pulmotect’s lead product, PUL-042, is an inhaled therapeutic that stimulates the innate immune system in minutes to provide immediate and effective protection against all major classes of pathogens that lasts for days.

How does it work?

PUL-042 is a novel combination of two synthetic molecules (Pam2 and ODN) that are agonists of Toll-like receptors.  These Toll-like receptors are proteins on the surface of cells that recognize pathogens and activate the body’s innate immune system.

By stimulating these receptors on lung epithelial cells, PUL-042 initiates an innate immune system response that better protects the body from infections. This single therapeutic has been shown to protect against each of the major classes (bacterial, fungal and viral) of pathogens.

What is the innate immune system?

The immune system can be broken down into two general components: the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system.

The innate immune system is the first line of defense for the body. It responds within minutes against a wide variety of infections and not only helps to protect the body from invading pathogens, but also triggers the slower, more specific adaptive immune response.

In contrast, the adaptive immune system provides an antigen-specific response that develops over weeks, but can provide long term resistance.

An ideal response to a pathogen is when these two systems work together. As illustrated below, the innate response (red trace) responds first, providing the body immediate protection while the adaptive immune system (blue trace) responds accordingly.  With technology that can boost the immediate, innate response, our body is better positioned to fight against inhaled pathogens.