A new population of immune cells could play a crucial role in the severity of asthma symptoms, as pointed out by a discovery by researchers at McMaster University (Canada). The study, published in ‘Science Translational Medicine‘, he throws light on the complex mechanisms behind severe asthma and opens new avenues for possible treatments.
In depth
Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that It is characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the airways respiratorywhich causes difficulty breathing. Severe asthma, which affects up to 10 percent of the general asthmatic population, is especially difficult to treat due to its resistance to standard therapies.
“When you can’t breathe, nothing else matters“he points out Roma Sehmilead and corresponding author of the article and professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University.
The research team recruited patients from St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (Canada) and conducted experimental work in laboratories at McMaster University and the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health (FIRH), a joint research institute of McMaster University and St. Joseph’s. In this way they explored a unique group of immune cells in the airways of people with severe asthma.
More details
The cells, called c-kit+IL-17A+ ILC2, They can be compared to chameleons; They can change their characteristics and have traits of two different types of immune cells. The study found that these “intermediate ILC2“are related to the presence of two types of cells that cause inflammation and make asthma worse (eosinophils and neutrophils).
Thus, the researchers discovered that people with severe asthma have these chameleon-like ILC2s that show markers of another type of cell, ILC3, that are associated with a large number of neutrophils in the airways, something often seen in cases of difficult-to-treat severe asthma. The study also found growth factors that promote the formation of these intermediate ILC2s, suggesting that check Its levels could prevent too many neutrophils from accumulating and worsening asthma symptoms.
To take into account
The capacity of the ILC2 change and adopt characteristics of ILC3s in the airways of asthma patients is a new discovery. This finding provides new insights into the causes of severe asthma and points to potential new treatment targets. By understanding the role of these intermediate ILC2s, researchers hope develop better treatments for patients with severe asthma who do not respond well to current therapies.
“When asthma is associated with both eosinophilic and neutrophilic cells, people generally they respond less to treatment with glucocorticosteroids, which are the basis of the treatment of severe asthma. The findings of this research open the way to discover new goals therapeutics for difficult-to-treat asthma,” concludes Parameswaran Nairco-author of the article and professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University.
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