People with lung infections could treat their condition by inhaling sugar, a new study claims. Researchers from the University of Manchester have found that breathing in sugar might stimulate the lung immune system to fight off infection.
Professor Andrew MacDonald, who led the study, said: "It is possible that provision of glucose could increase inflammation to help protect against some lung infections."
"It's reasonable to suggest that short-term inhalation therapy might one day work as such a treatment," he explained.
How sugar might be inhaled is not made clear in the study, published in the journal Nature Immunology. Theoretically sugar could be "snorted" as a powder, but not "vaped". When a sugar solution is heated the water evaporates while the sugar crystallizes.
The study in mice looked at specialized white blood cells called macrophages. These act as immune system "vacuum cleaners", removing harmful organisms and debris.
The Manchester team found that macrophages in the lungs need the right level of glucose "fuel" in order to function properly. Too much sugar stimulation led to inflammation of the type often associated with chronic conditions such as asthma. Lung inflammation is also linked to the potentially deadly effects of parasitic worm infections, a huge problem in Africa and Asia.
