Thus, novel drugs or drug combinations targeting relevant players in the disease process, such as neutrophil elastase inhibitors for ALI/ARDS and CF, antibodies against cytokines, chemokines or its receptors for asthma, COPD and CF, anti-fibrotic drugs for IPF, and, ultimately, the recently approved CF therapies targeting CFTR mutations (Figure 2) might represent a step forward to increase specificity and reduce adverse events. The gene discussed is CFTR; the disease is acute respiratory distress syndrome.