Inhaled activated protein C: a new therapy for the prevention of ventilator-induced lung injury?

Systemic administration of activated protein C (APC) has been shown to reduce pulmonary inflammation in preclinical models of acute lung injury. However, there is only limited information concerning the effects of inhaled APC in modulating the severity of pulmonary inflammation. In a study reported in this issue of Critical Care, Maniatis and colleagues show that pretreatment of mice with inhaled APC is protective against ventilator-induced lung injury. While the mechanisms responsible for this effect require additional elucidation, inhaled APC appears to be a potentially useful intervention in diminishing the severity of ventilator-induced lung injury and other forms of acute lung injury.