Asthma

As part of the Human Cell Atlas initiative researchers have mapped the different types of cells in the lungs, and spotted some crucial new differences between healthy and asthma-affected airways that could inspire some new drug targets.

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to reduce inflammation, and asthma involves an inflammation of the airways. Would eating omega-3-rich fish therefore help reduce the severity of asthma? A new study indicates that the answer is likely Yes.

A fascinating new study from researchers at Temple University has successfully reversed cognitive impairments in mice with dementia. The research utilized a 20-year-old asthma drug to treat the animals and the hope is to fast track clinical trials to verify the results in human subjects.

​Mild to moderate asthma can be difficult to diagnose, as its symptoms change over time and are often affected by other respiratory conditions. A new test, however, is able to definitively determine whether or not a patient has asthma – via just a swabbing of the nose.​

​If your child has a respiratory illness such as asthma, then visits to the doctor may be fairly frequent. A team of scientists from Poland's Adam Mickiewicz University are attempting to make them a little less so, though, with a use-at-home wireless stethoscope known as StethoMe.

​There may be new hope for people who suffer from asthma or other respiratory disorders. Scientists from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and Shanghai University have developed a drug that they claim is a more effective treatment than the currently-used bronchodilator inhalers.

Scientists understand that too much of a protein called mucin causes the lungs’ airways to close, triggering an asthma attack. Until now, the mechanism behind it was unknown. Researchers from Houston Methodist Research Institute believe the answer lies in how two molecules communicate.

Researchers have revealed the mechanism behind an antibody that can potentially inactivate the body's allergic processes.​ The breakthrough brings researchers one step closer to developing a universal treatment that can prevent the fundamental immune response at the heart of all allergic reactions.

North Carolina-based Pneuma Respiratory has developed what it states is the world's first fully-digital soft mist inhaler. Among other things, it's claimed to deliver medication more reliably.​

An international team, made up of scientists from several different universities, has successfully identified over 100 genetic risk factors that increase a person’s chances of developing three common allergic conditions: asthma, hay fever and eczema.

A team of researchers at the University of Queensland has developed a new process that has successfully silenced a severe allergic response in mice, using blood stem cells engineered with a gene that can target specific immune cells.

​Asthma can be a debilitating, dangerous condition, and it's most often caused by allergies. While medication provides some relief, scientists have devised a treatment that could help the severely-asthmatic even more. It involves using a dialysis-like setup to filter antibodies out of their blood.