In chronic rhinosinusitis, an allergic reaction may cause the formation of nasal polyps. According to Japanese researchers, this is due to the presence of a protein.
Simple common cold with chronic rhinosinusitis, our nose sometimes gets angry. It clogs up, starts to flow, hurts us. Sometimes the lining of the sinuses thickens, thereby forming polyps. These “clusters” can cause respiratory discomfort, or even a loss of smell. Researchers from the University of Osaka (Japan), sought to know the exact cause of this formation of polyps. According to them it is a protein, called semaphorin protein. Their results are published in the journal Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Current treatments not necessarily effective
When a person has chronic rhinosinusitis, nasal inflammation occurs. The latter indeed leads to the formation of nasal polyps, containing eosinophils. It is a subset of white blood cells. Typically, treatment options are sinus surgery or corticosteroids. However, the effectiveness of these treatments is not guaranteed, and side effects may occur. According to the researchers, by now knowing that semaphorin is involved in the formation of polyps, new treatment options can be considered.
Antibody can block inflammation
“In this study, we found that semaphorin levels were elevated in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, and that these levels were associated with elements of disease severity.”, explains Masayuki Nishide, one of the researchers of the study. “Our analyzes revealed that in a mouse model with chronic rhinosinusitis, mice without semaphorin proteins had less nasal inflammation than normal mice, so we tested whether blocking semaphorin with an antibody could affect the inflammation in mice with chronic rhinosinusitis”details for his part Takeshi Tsuda, lead author of the study.
Semaphorin is a biomarker
He pursues: “As expected, we found that treatment with an anti-semaphorin antibody significantly reduced nasal inflammation..” Besides being a new treatment option, the presence of semaphorin is also a biomarker for nasal inflammation.
