Activating receptor proteins of prostaglandins (PGs) — fatty molecules with hormone-like effects — restores the regenerative potential of lung cells in cellular models of COPD, reveals the latest study by a team of scientists from the Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, at University of Groningen, Netherlands.  According to the study, this restoration was achieved with iloprost and misoprostol — two compounds that mimic the activity of PGs and are currently used in the clinic for other indications — suggesting that repurposing treatment approaches may help identify potential therapies for COPD. The benefits were associated with a reversal of COPD-associated lung cells’ abnormalities in the circadian clock, an internally driven 24-hour rhythm, and cell cycle/death signalling pathways. These findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms behind lung tissue repair and regeneration and such deficits in COPD, which may help to develop or identify new therapeutic approaches.