Autoimmune induction of a COPD-like inflammatory phenotype in mice

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a highly prevalent inflammatory disease of the lung associated with increasing mortality rates throughout the world. Tobacco smoke exposure has been identified as most common cause of COPD, however, the pathogenetic mechanisms leading to disease development are still poorly understood. Most recently, autoimmune mechanisms probably directed against degraded components of the extracellular matrix came into discussion to contribute to induction and/or perpetuation of the disease-underlying inflammatory processes. Based on these observations we hypothesized that experi…