Cardiff University scientists discover asthma's root cause

[Bosonic]

Source: BBC

Scientists at Cardiff University have identified the potential root cause of asthma for the first time, along with a new treatment.

Researchers have proved that a receptor, known as the calcium sensing receptor or CaSR, causes asthma.

This has led them to discover that the condition could be treated using existing drugs called calcilytics.

The study was made using mouse models of asthma and human airway tissue from asthmatic and non-asthmatic people.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-32418080

[pnwmom]

1. This is great news! Thanks for posting. Here's an article with more information.

Unfortunately, the research is still in early stages and, of course, more funding is needed!

http://www.asthma.org.uk/news/scientists-discover-potential-root-cause-and-novel-treatment

Crucially, the paper highlights the effectiveness of a class of drugs known as calcilytics in manipulating CaSR to reverse all symptoms associated with the condition. These symptoms include airway narrowing, airway twitchiness and inflammation - all of which contribute to increased breathing difficulty.

"Our findings are incredibly exciting," said the principal investigator, Professor Daniela Riccardi, from Cardiff University School of Biosciences. "For the first time we have found a link airways inflammation, which can be caused by environmental triggers - such as allergens, cigarette smoke and car fumes – and airways twitchiness in allergic asthma.

"Our paper shows how these triggers release chemicals that activate CaSR in airway tissue and drive asthma symptoms like airway twitchiness, inflammation, and narrowing. Using calcilytics, nebulized directly into the lungs, we show that it is possible to deactivate CaSR and prevent all of these symptoms."

Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Research and Policy at Asthma UK, who helped fund the research, said:

SNIP

"If this research proves successful we may be just a few years away from a new treatment for asthma, and we urgently need further investment to take it further through clinical trials. Asthma research is chronically underfunded; there have only been a handful of new treatments developed in the last 50 years so the importance of investment in research like this is absolutely essential."

[erronis]

2. If this is for real, it is incredible news. My father had asthma most of his life

And died from congestive heart failure, never having smoked and being very active all of his life. It's a very scary disease and having a way to treat it would be incredibly good.

[MADem]

3. HOLY SHIT! This IS big news!!!

This could be a game changer for so many people.

Yea, Wales, too!

[Ilsa]

4. I wonder how the research was funded.

Opponents of universal healthcare frequently claim that only the US has valuable medical research.

[jtuck004]

5. What private company or companies paid for this? n/t

[mwooldri]

19. Asthma UK - a non profit charity. In part.

The Mayo Clinic and University of Cardiff are the two organizations doing the research. UK taxpayer money is in the mix as well.

[aggiesal]

6. I thought breathing was the root cause ...

Stop breathing, no more asthma!

[ToxMarz]

7. Calcilytics are used to treat osteoporosis

You would think more than a few people with asthma have been treated for osteoporosis and someone would have noticed sooner that their asthma also disappeared

[drm604]

9. Not unless they had calcilyitics nebulized into their lungs.

[dbackjon]

8. As an asthmatic, this is welcome news

[INdemo]

13. So now they can add another inhaler and charge $200.00 for

something that will cost $2.00 to make

[truedelphi]

14. Albert Hoffman explained that his discovery was the best anti histamine ever.

We could put men on the moon, but somehow never got around to stabilizing the substance known as LSD so that asthmatics could use it without having bad trips or talking to God.

Oh and it was super cheap to produce as well. Only the illegality of its use resulted in people paying as much as they did for it.

[Helen Borg]

10. You mean, ALL types of asthma? Wow.

[hedgehog]

11. Good question - I have a son who never had an acute asthma attack,

but he had to monitor his peak flow and adjust medications accordingly because he would slip into a slow motion asthma and lose over half his breathing capacity over the course of a week if he didn't pay attention. (Classic frog in the pot of boiling water)

Others of us never see our air volume drop, but after a viral infection, the surface of our lungs is so inflamed that we can't breathe properly.

[Hekate]

12. Wonderful news. Thanks for posting it.

[rurallib]

15. will Republicans deny the science?

just kidding - great news.

[lumberjack_jeff]

16. This can't be right - because "socialized medicine"

This is great news.

[mcar]

17. This is great news!

My father was asthmatic. When he was undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer in 1984, the surgeons said his lungs looked lime those of a 4 pack a day smoker. He never smoked of course but suffered greatly from the asthma. He died in 1987 at age 62.

The most wonderful man I've ever known and I'm married 30 years with two sons.

I salute science.

[former9thward]

18. The more important question is why has asthma increased dramatically in the last few decades?

Air pollution is down dramatically during that same time period so that is not the cause. Human genes do not change that rapidly so that is not the cause.

[bearssoapbox]

20. This is really great news!

My wife and I have asthma and hope I'm around to see if this treatment pans out.

The article says it used mouse models. I wonder if it will be effective in cats and other animals.

We also have a cat (BG) with asthma. Him, my wife, and I all use the same meds in the nebulizer.

He is also on predisone but with the inhalation therapy he needs the pills less and less. He is doing so much better now with the coughing spells getting less often and they don't sound bad.

Here is his back story and some pics of him, his sister (Gabby) and their Mom (Ebony). Which reminds me, I need to post an update for him in Pets.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/116112792

http://www.democraticunderground.com/116112832

[winter is coming]

21. I hope this is one of those cases where what works in mice translates to people.

We've been struggling to get my kid's asthma under control. It's usually not bad enough to send her to the ER, but she feels like shit all the time and school's been a real struggle this semester.