People with mild asthma can be identified from those with moderate or severe asthma using the identified biological variations in lung tissue samples, according to a study by a team of researchers from the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre - a partnership between Leicester's Hospitals, the University of Leicester and Loughborough University. The findings of the study are published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
The team led by Professors Salman Siddiqui and Peter Bradding used state-of-the-art statistical methods involving visualisation approaches, to perform the largest comprehensive analysis of common pathological features in the airways of people with
Asthma of different severities. They also investigated the clinical features of these subtypes and whether there is any association with changes in genes and decline in lung function.
Asthma
It''s a lung condition characterized by inflammation of the bronchi and constriction of the airways that result in coughing, wheezing or breathlessness. Allergy and other airway irritants can trigger it
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‘Identified biological variations allow development of new, targeted and matched treatments for asthma.’
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Professor Siddiqui and his team identified multiple biological 'micro-clusters' which means that there are different combinations of active genes in each of the reported subtypes of Asthma .
Professor Bradding, who is a Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Leicester and Consultant Respiratory Physician at Leicester's Hospitals, said: "The most exciting thing about finding these biological variations underpinning the differences between mild asthma and moderate and severe asthma is that the statistical methods if further developed could lead to the development of new, targeted treatments for subtypes of asthma, thus allowing the right Asthma to be matched to different patients. In this scenario, patients would benefit because they would be offered more personalised, and therefore more effective, care to manage their asthma."
![Asthma Patients Could Find Relief with New Drug Therapy]( "Asthma Patients Could Find Relief with New Drug Therapy")
Novel drug that opens the lungs' airways - an effective treatment for asthma patients
Professor Siddiqui, Professor of Airway Diseases at the University of Leicester and Consultant Respiratory Physician at Leicester's Hospitals, added: "Further research is now underway to understand how to use these statistical approaches to combine complex information in asthma patients and make personalised treatment decisions."
Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Research and Policy at Asthma UK, which funded the study, said: "For a long time, asthma has been considered as one condition, but this research illustrates the growing understanding that the term 'asthma' is in fact an umbrella term for different lung conditions. There needs to be a much better understanding of how to identify different types of asthma so that treatment can be tailored to prevent asthma attacks and keep people out of hospital. We are calling for more research into asthma, particularly into improving and developing diagnostic tools so that people can be diagnosed and treated quickly and effectively."
Source: Eurekalert
Asthma Patients Could Find Relief with New Drug Therapy
Novel drug that opens the lungs' airways - an effective treatment for asthma patients
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Professor Siddiqui, Professor of Airway Diseases at the University of Leicester and Consultant Respiratory Physician at Leicester's Hospitals, added: "Further research is now underway to understand how to use these statistical approaches to combine complex information in asthma patients and make personalised treatment decisions."
Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Research and Policy at Asthma UK, which funded the study, said: "For a long time, asthma has been considered as one condition, but this research illustrates the growing understanding that the term 'asthma' is in fact an umbrella term for different lung conditions. There needs to be a much better understanding of how to identify different types of asthma so that treatment can be tailored to prevent asthma attacks and keep people out of hospital. We are calling for more research into asthma, particularly into improving and developing diagnostic tools so that people can be diagnosed and treated quickly and effectively."
Source: Eurekalert
Asthma Biomarkers from Lung Bacteria Identified
The lung microbiome plays a key role in asthma severity and response to treatment. Microbiome is a potential biomarker for asthma.
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Asthma Patients are Benefited by Asthma APGAR ToolsThe Asthma APGAR tools are effective for asthma management by reducing the patient's visit to hospitals and improves their health condition. | Advertisement
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