Asthma News and Research

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Asthma is a common inflammatory disease affecting the airways that leads to shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. Symptoms range from mild to severe but are generally manageable with appropriate treatment.

Study reveals genetically driven mucus pathobiology in asthma

A significant amount of genetic risk for asthma is likely mediated through altered gene expression within the airway epithelium.

29 Mar 2022

Macrophages show altered inflammatory, metabolic expression months after mild COVID-19

There is a lack of understanding as to why some people suffer from long-lasting symptoms after COVID-19 infection.

15 Mar 2022

Specific gene variant linked with poor response to sublingual immunotherapy for allergies

Although sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) has become an effective treatment option for many allergies, about 20-30% of patients don’t respond to SLIT for Japanese cedar pollinosis–a highly common disease.

8 Mar 2022

Groundbreaking discovery could lead to the design of novel therapeutics for wound-healing

An international team led by the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has discovered novel properties of the protein Gasdermin B that promotes repair of cells lining the gastrointestinal tract in people with chronic inflammatory disorders like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

8 Feb 2022

Lucky genes linked to lower risk of diseases in people with obesity

Geneticists have revealed why some people with obesity remain relatively healthy, whilst others suffer from life-changing ailments such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

From University of Exeter 25 Jan 2022

Monitoring strains of bacteria may provide better insights into the microbiome

Every day, the billions of bacteria that inhabit your digestive system change; the food you eat, medications you take, and germs you're exposed to make some bacteria flourish more than others.

24 Dec 2021

Research demonstrates how diet affects immunity through the gut microbiome

The cliché "you are what you eat" has been used for hundreds of years to illustrate the link between diet and health. Now, an international team of researchers has found the molecular proof of this concept, demonstrating how diet ultimately affects immunity through the gut microbiome.

From Harvard Medical School 17 Nov 2021

CRISPR screening identifies metabolic enzyme as new target for anti-inflammatory therapeutics

A metabolic enzyme that has been studied in cancer biology and is important for T cell function may offer a new target for anti-inflammatory therapeutics, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

12 Nov 2021

Low dose of pollutants in food leads to high activation of antibodies that cause allergic response

Exposure to the heavy metal cadmium is known to irritate the stomach and lungs or cause kidney disease, but new research links another health issue to inadvertently ingesting low doses of the pollutant: high activation of the antibodies that cause an allergic response.

27 Oct 2021

New biomarker can help characterize specific types of asthma and COPD

Rutgers researchers have discovered that people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have a protein in their lungs that leaks a small molecule into their bloodstream that restricts their breathing instead of relaxing their airways.

From Rutgers University 21 Oct 2021

Study finds higher levels of air pollutants in regions near oil and gas wells

In a 14-year analysis of air quality across California, Stanford researchers observed higher levels of air pollutants within 2.5 miles of oil and gas wells, likely worsening negative health outcomes for nearby residents.

13 Oct 2021

New study reveals lung cell roles in guiding the immune system

Lung immunity is essential to combat all pulmonary diseases, including COVID-19, pneumonia, lung cancer, asthma and COPD.

6 Oct 2021

Mast cell precursor cells get activated when exposed to allergic stimulation, shows study

Mast cell precursor cells do not just cause an increase in mature mast cells during inflammation, they also play an active role in diseases like asthma. This finding is in a new study by immunology researchers published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

1 Oct 2021

Researchers show how 'bad mucin' contributes to worsening pulmonary conditions

Mucus is an essential protective layer of gel-like liquid composed largely of proteins called mucins throughout our airways.

23 Sep 2021

Eosinophils combat cancer metastases in the lungs, says research

Recent research at Tel Aviv University identified that eosinophils—a kind of white blood cells—are recruited for the fight against cancer metastases in the lungs.

15 Sep 2021

Virus-infected cells endure long-term changes, says study

Scientists from the University of Basel observed in experiments with mice that cells can self-heal and eradicate viruses.

31 Aug 2021

Understanding computational fluid dynamics can inform more effective design of drug delivery devices

Increased air pollution in recent years has not only contributed to deteriorating environmental conditions in cities across the globe.

12 Aug 2021

Atomic force spectroscopy probes cellular biomechanics in response to drugs in hypoxia

Oncotarget published "Dynamic cellular biomechanics in responses to chemotherapeutic drug in hypoxia probed by atomic force spectroscopy" which reported that by exploiting single-cell, force spectroscopy methods, the authors probed biophysical and biomechanical kinetics of brain, breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancer cells with standard chemotherapeutic drugs in normoxia and hypoxia over 12-24 hours.

20 Jul 2021

Exposure to chemicals in plastic during the fetal stage is linked with a lower IQ

Bisphenol F chemical (found in plastics) may cause changes in a gene that is crucial for neurological development. Researchers from the Swedish universities of Uppsala and Karlstad made this discovery.

21 May 2021

Air pollution may increase chance of hospitalization for COVID-19 patients

Patients who have preexisting respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and live in areas with high levels of air pollution have a greater chance of hospitalization if they contract COVID-19, says a University of Cincinnati researcher.

15 Apr 2021