A groundbreaking study conducted by scientists at King’s College London has unveiled a promising new pathway for treating asthma, offering hope to millions worldwide who suffer from this chronic and life-threatening respiratory disease. The research, published in the journal Science, marks a significant breakthrough in the quest to combat asthma, which has long been a challenging condition to manage effectively.
Asthma, characterized by inflammation and constriction of the airways, affects an estimated 262 million people worldwide, causing 455,000 deaths in 2019 alone. Despite its prevalence, the causes of asthma remain poorly understood, and current medications only treat the symptoms, not the underlying condition.
The researchers discovered that the damage caused by inflammation and mucus during an asthma attack can be prevented by blocking a process that leads to the death of epithelial cells, which line the inside and outside surfaces of the body. They found that cell extrusion, a process that drives most epithelial cell death, may hold the key to stopping asthma symptoms.
Through their research, which spanned ten years, the scientists used mouse lung models and human airway tissue to uncover the mechanisms underlying asthma attacks. They found that when airways contract, known as bronchoconstriction, epithelial cells are squeezed out and later die, leading to damage to the airway barrier, inflammation, and excess mucus formation.
The researchers also discovered that the chemical compound gadolinium can block cell extrusion, preventing damage and inflammation in mice. While this compound has not been tested in humans and is not yet deemed safe or efficacious, the findings offer a promising new direction for asthma treatment.
Furthermore, the researchers suggest that their discoveries could have implications for other inflammatory diseases that feature constriction, such as cramping of the gut and inflammatory bowel disease.
According to a Professor at King’s College London and author of the study, This research offers hope for millions of people worldwide who suffer from asthma.
Jody Rosenblatt stated, “Our discovery is the culmination of more than 10 years’ work.
“As cell biologists who watch processes, we can see that the physical constriction of an asthma attack causes widespread destruction of the airway barrier.
“Without this barrier, asthma sufferers are far more likely to get long-term inflammation, wound healing and infections that cause more attacks.
“By understanding this fundamental mechanism, we are now in a better position to prevent all these events.”
Explaining further about the study’s findings, Prof Rosenblatt added, “This constriction and destruction of the airways causes the post-attack inflammation and excess mucus secretion that makes it difficult for people with asthma to breathe.
“Current therapies do not prevent this destruction – an inhaler such as Albuterol opens the airways, which is critical to breathing, but, dishearteningly, we found it does not prevent the damage and the symptoms that follow an attack.
“Fortunately, we found that we can use an inexpensive compound, gadolinium, which is frequently used for MRI imaging, to stop the airway damage in mice models as well as the ensuing inflammation and mucus secretion.
“Preventing this damage could then prevent the build-up of musculature that cause future attacks.”
Professor Rosenblatt elaborated on the study’s results, saying:
“This constriction and destruction of the airways causes the post-attack inflammation and excess mucus secretion that makes it difficult for people with asthma to breathe.
“Current therapies do not prevent this destruction – an inhaler such as Albuterol opens the airways, which is critical to breathing, but, dishearteningly, we found it does not prevent the damage and the symptoms that follow an attack.
“Fortunately, we found that we can use an inexpensive compound, gadolinium, which is frequently used for MRI imaging, to stop the airway damage in mice models as well as the ensuing inflammation and mucus secretion.
“Preventing this damage could then prevent the build-up of musculature that cause future attacks.”
Dr. Tope Oni, a pulmonologist, has hailed a new study on asthma treatment as a potential “game-changer”. The study suggests blocking cell extrusion to prevent airway damage and inflammation, offering a promising new direction for asthma treatment.
He stated, “For decades, asthma treatment has focused on reducing inflammation, but this study shows that the constriction of airways is caused by a different mechanism.
“This discovery has the potential to transform the way we approach asthma treatment and could lead to the development of new drugs that prevent attacks and improve patients’ quality of life.”
A new asthma treatment approach may be more effective than current options, which can have significant side effects and may not prevent attacks.
If we can prevent the destruction of the airway barrier, we could prevent the life-threatening features of asthma and improve patients’ long-term health outcomes,” he summarized.
