The causes of asthma seem to have been elucidated. A discovery that opens the way to new therapeutic avenues.
For the first time, researchers have identified the causes of asthma and a new therapeutic route that could completely cure patients. They published their work this Wednesday in the medical journal Science Translational Medicine.
Asthma affects over 235 million people worldwide. It is the most common chronic disease in children, and to date there is no medication available to treat it. Treatments prescribed to patients only control the disease and relieve symptoms. But to prevent attacks, asthmatics must avoid triggering elements such as allergens (dust mites, pollens or animal hair), tobacco smoke, irritating chemicals or pollution as much as possible.
Symptoms related to calcium
By studying mice and human tissue from healthy people with asthma, researchers found that inflammation of the bronchi and irritation of the mucous membranes during asthma attacks were linked to calcium, and in particular to receptors sensitive to calcium. calcium (CaSR) which regulate the concentration of this ion in the body.
Researchers at Cardiff University, in collaboration with King’s College London, have shown that these receptors are overexpressed in the airway muscles of asthmatics compared to non-sick people. By attaching to CaSR, calcium enters muscle cells and triggers a cascade of reactions leading to asthma attacks.
“Our study shows that the triggers – allergen, pollution – release molecules that activate CaSRs in the tissues of the respiratory tract and lead to asthma symptoms. By using “calcilytics” by inhalation directly into the lungs, we have shown that it is possible to deactivate calcium receptors and prevent all symptoms, ”explains Daniela Riccardi, lead author of the study and professor at the University. from Cardiff.
Treatment in five years
So, scientists suggest that blocking these receptors could treat asthma. They tested their hypothesis in mice and noted a marked improvement in inflammation and a decrease in airway obstruction.
The therapeutic agents used, calcityls, have been around for over 15 years. They had then been developed to treat osteoporosis but had not given the expected results. Researchers will experiment with these treatments in humans in two years. “If we can show that calcilytics are safe when given directly to the lungs of patients, then we can treat asthmatics and potentially prevent the disease within five years,” concludes hopeful Daniela Riccardi.
According to Paul Kemp, co-author of the study and professor at Cardiff University, this discovery opens up prospects for treatments for other respiratory pathologies such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic bronchitis.
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