Abstract: Methods and compounds for increasing or decreasing mucus secretion in subjects, and particularly mucus secretion in the airways, are described. Methods of screening compounds for the ability to increase or decrease mucus secretion are also described.

Abstract: The present invention includes methods of modulating cellular secretory processes. More specifically the present invention relates to modulating or reducing the release of inflammatory mediators from inflammatory cells by inhibiting the mechanism associated with the release of inflammatory mediators from the vesicles or granules in the inflammatory cells. In this regard, the present invention discloses an intracellular signaling mechanism that illustrates several novel intracellular targets for pharmacological intervention in disorders involving secretion of inflammatory mediators from vesicles in inflammatory cells. MANS peptide and active fragments thereof are useful in such methods.