An inflammatory molecule called LIGHT appears to be the cause of tissue remodeling and life-threatening airway damage in patients with severe asthma, according to scientists from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI). Findings suggest that LIGHT plays a dominant role and coordinates the tissue remodeling process. Moreover, the study is “the first to show that the deletion of a single receptor or absence of a single cytokine can limit airway smooth muscle tissue remodeling.”
It is not understood why some people who have allergies develop asthma while others do not. A new study from Massachusetts General Hospital has identified key differences in airway response to allergens between people who have allergic asthma and those who have allergies but do not have asthma. In response to allergen exposure, samples from participants with asthma had higher expression of genes that amplify certain forms of inflammation and promote abnormal structural changes in airways. In contrast, participants without asthma had higher expression of genes involved in tissue repair and antioxidant signaling. Types of immune cells in samples from participants with and without asthma also differed.