Asthma News and Research

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Asthma is a common inflammatory disease affecting the airways that leads to shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing. Symptoms range from mild to severe but are generally manageable with appropriate treatment.

New biomarker can help characterize specific types of asthma and COPD

Rutgers researchers have discovered that people with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have a protein in their lungs that leaks a small molecule into their bloodstream that restricts their breathing instead of relaxing their airways.

From Rutgers University 21 Oct 2021

Study finds higher levels of air pollutants in regions near oil and gas wells

In a 14-year analysis of air quality across California, Stanford researchers observed higher levels of air pollutants within 2.5 miles of oil and gas wells, likely worsening negative health outcomes for nearby residents.

13 Oct 2021

New study reveals lung cell roles in guiding the immune system

Lung immunity is essential to combat all pulmonary diseases, including COVID-19, pneumonia, lung cancer, asthma and COPD.

6 Oct 2021

Mast cell precursor cells get activated when exposed to allergic stimulation, shows study

Mast cell precursor cells do not just cause an increase in mature mast cells during inflammation, they also play an active role in diseases like asthma. This finding is in a new study by immunology researchers published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

1 Oct 2021

Researchers show how 'bad mucin' contributes to worsening pulmonary conditions

Mucus is an essential protective layer of gel-like liquid composed largely of proteins called mucins throughout our airways.

23 Sep 2021

Eosinophils combat cancer metastases in the lungs, says research

Recent research at Tel Aviv University identified that eosinophils—a kind of white blood cells—are recruited for the fight against cancer metastases in the lungs.

15 Sep 2021

Virus-infected cells endure long-term changes, says study

Scientists from the University of Basel observed in experiments with mice that cells can self-heal and eradicate viruses.

31 Aug 2021

Understanding computational fluid dynamics can inform more effective design of drug delivery devices

Increased air pollution in recent years has not only contributed to deteriorating environmental conditions in cities across the globe.

12 Aug 2021

Atomic force spectroscopy probes cellular biomechanics in response to drugs in hypoxia

Oncotarget published "Dynamic cellular biomechanics in responses to chemotherapeutic drug in hypoxia probed by atomic force spectroscopy" which reported that by exploiting single-cell, force spectroscopy methods, the authors probed biophysical and biomechanical kinetics of brain, breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancer cells with standard chemotherapeutic drugs in normoxia and hypoxia over 12-24 hours.

20 Jul 2021

Exposure to chemicals in plastic during the fetal stage is linked with a lower IQ

Bisphenol F chemical (found in plastics) may cause changes in a gene that is crucial for neurological development. Researchers from the Swedish universities of Uppsala and Karlstad made this discovery.

21 May 2021

Air pollution may increase chance of hospitalization for COVID-19 patients

Patients who have preexisting respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and live in areas with high levels of air pollution have a greater chance of hospitalization if they contract COVID-19, says a University of Cincinnati researcher.

15 Apr 2021

Monitoring pollen levels using environmental DNA

In this interview, AZoLifeSciences speaks to Dr. Ben Wheeler about his latest research and how we monitor pollen levels using environmental DNA.

From University of Exeter 25 Mar 2021

Study identifies a new mechanism that causes airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma

Asthma is a condition in which a person’s airways turn hyperresponsive.

15 Mar 2021

Environmental DNA could help better understand grasses that cause allergies

Pollen from grass is a significant outdoor allergen that causes widespread and expensive respiratory conditions, such as hay fever (rhinitis) and allergic asthma.

15 Mar 2021

Virtual clinical trials could transform the development of new drugs

New cutting-edge research undertaken at the University of Leicester could revolutionize the way new drugs are developed and the way patients are cared for, through a pioneering new approach using virtual clinical trials.

8 Mar 2021

Researchers identify gene variant associated with childhood asthma

Researchers at Henry Ford Health System, as part of a national asthma collaborative, have identified a gene variant associated with childhood asthma that underscores the importance of including diverse patient populations in research studies.

1 Mar 2021

How is climate change affecting the allergy season?

AZoLifeSciences speaks to Professor William Anderegg about his latest research into climate change and how it is affecting the allergy season.

From The University of Utah 23 Feb 2021

Fecal microbiome differs in healthy and food-allergic twins

A new study out of the University of Chicago and Stanford University on pairs of twins with and without food allergies has identified potential microbial players in this condition. The results were published on Jan. 19 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

20 Jan 2021

Inhaling wildfire smoke's microbial content can increase risk of infection

Wildfire smoke contains microbes, a fact that's often ignored, but one that may have important health repercussions.

From The University of California, Davis 21 Dec 2020

Study: DOT1L enzyme is essential for humoral immune responses

Communication, serendipity and an enzyme called DOT1L have all combined to produce some exciting findings into the immune system's B cells and T cells by two groups of Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) scientists.

17 Dec 2020