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.
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If you've recently stopped smoking, then you ought to start eating more tomatoes and other fruits. According to a new study from Johns Hopkins University, doing so could help slow the decline of your lung function, by reversing some of the damage caused by smoking.
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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.
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According to The Ohio State University, over half of all patients who are treated for heart failure end up back in the hospital within six months, due to fluid buildup in their lungs. Sensible Medical has set out to change that, however, with a wearable device known as the SensiVest.
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Researchers have developed a miniature version of a lung in a dish, called an "organoid," that functions just like a real, full-size lung. These mini organs aren't designed for transplants, but rather as a research tool to study human disease and test drugs that could regenerate damaged tissue.
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Until now, blood cell production was ascribed solely to bone marrow, but studies on mice have found that the majority of the body’s platelets are produced in the lungs, as is a backup reservoir of blood stem cells that can step in when those in the bone marrow run dry.
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Organs-on-chips allow the study of drugs and diseases without testing on animals or humans. Now a team at Harvard has designed a device that smokes cigarettes and sends the smoke through a lung-on-a-chip, to examine just how the habit damages health.
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Researchers from the University of Washington have developed a monitoring system that allows patients to call in from anywhere in the world to gauge the health of their lungs over the phone.
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Listening to a patients' breathing is certainly a key part of diagnosing their respiratory problems. However, doctors' individual observer bias does come into play. That's why scientists have created an electronic system that objectively matches lung sounds to specific maladies.
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Researchers in California claim to have identified the source of the sigh in the brain, which they say is a life-sustaining reflex for healthy lung functioning. A sigh is mostly an involuntary deep breath, or a regular breath with another added on top before an exhale.
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