Antipsychotic drug spiperone is found to actively mediate endothelial regeneration in an animal model of compulsive obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Thus, it could represent a novel therapeutic approach for treatment of emphysema associated with COPD. A team of researchers from the Tomsk National Research Medical Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences found the positive role of spiperone in the regeneration of damaged pulmonary endothelium. The research findings suggested that spiperone increased the number of capillaries as well as the expression of the CD31 in the alveolar tissue compared to the controls, preventing alveolar wall destruction (DI), and reduced the area of emphysema. The researchers said that they analyzed an animal model of pulmonary emphysema induced by cigarette smoking and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The research, published in International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease today (December 30), said that the results strongly suggest the potential usage of spiperone as a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of COPD and emphysema. Their findings have further reportedly suggested that spiperone increased the number of capillaries as well as the expression of the CD31 in the alveolar tissue compared to the controls, preventing alveolar wall destruction (DI), and reduced the area of emphysema.