Asthma

Humans have bitter taste receptors not only in their mouths but in their lungs, too. Researchers have exploited these receptors’ innate ability to dilate the airways to create a potent new drug that may change how we treat diseases like asthma and COPD.

By modifying an off-the-shelf Wi-Fi router with a firmware update and using a deep-learning algorithm, scientists have been able to detect breathing patterns that indicate respiratory distress in a medical mannequin.

New research from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology has brought a novel, long-term treatment for severe asthma a step closer, presenting a potential way to block the thickening of airway muscle tissue seen in chronic asthma patients.

Asthma is usually managed by treating symptoms, but new research shows a potential way to target a root cause of the disease. A molecule prevented structural changes in the airways of asthmatic mice and eliminated their symptoms in weeks.

Corticosteroid inhalers are a common treatment for asthma, but patients with severe asthma don’t respond well to it. Now scientists have identified a mechanism that seems to block the drugs, and importantly, a potential way to bypass the problem.

Asthma is a very common condition and, while it’s treatable, there’s always a need for new options. Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have now found that an inflammatory “off switch” molecule could help treat severe asthma.

Scientists in Japan investigating new treatments for asthma have made a promising discovery, finding that a fermented soybean product can help temper inflammation associated with the condition in animal models.

Most asthma sufferers will know their symptoms are often worse at night. But why is this the case? A fascinating study has put more than a dozen asthma patients through two rigorous experiments and found the body’s circadian clock may be responsible.

A new article is reporting successful results from preclinical tests for a unique asthma vaccine. The results indicate the vaccine generates antibodies against the inflammatory molecules known to cause severe asthma.

An international team of scientists has identified a protein in the lungs that offers a new target for asthma treatments, along with another common condition affected by inflammation in the lungs, in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

People with chronic respiratory disease tend to produce thicker forms of mucus and scientists have now uncovered one of the key reasons why, raising new treatment possibilities for conditions like asthma, cystic fibrosis and COPD.

A newly published longitudinal study out of Canada has found a strong association between frequent use of household cleaning products and an increased risk of children developing asthma in the first three years of life.