Clear Airways: Quelling a protein stops mucus overload

Despite its lowly status, mucus plays a valuable role in the body. It provides a barrier against pathogens and lubricates tissues lining the air passages, gastrointestinal tract, and several other areas of the body. Too much mucus, however, can be annoying, unhealthy, and even deadly, as in chronic bronchitis, asthma, and cystic fibrosis.