A team of researchers from the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in Orlando (USA) has discovered a molecule that could prevent symptoms caused by asthma , the chronic disease that inflames and narrows the airways and lungs, causing recurrent respiratory problems.
People with asthma tend to be more sensitive to environmental allergens such as pollen, dust, or smoke, the exposure of which causes inflammation, mucus, and airway obstruction. Now, thanks to this research, despite the absence of a cure for this disease, a new specific treatment would be possible to control asthma attacks .
For the experiment, the researchers used laboratory mice in which they tested various synthetic molecules. They discovered that a synthetic monosaccharide sulfate molecule was able to block the so-called T-cells (lymphocytes) responsible for the asthma attack. The result was that inhaling or receiving this molecule intravenously, asthma symptoms were reduced in the mice , including inflammation and obstruction of the airways or mucus.
In the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Minoru Fukuda, leader of the research, states that “lung aspiration of this new molecule can help reduce asthma symptoms by suppressing the chemokine-mediated inflammatory responses. We look forward to developing the molecule to treat the millions of people who suffer from this chronic disease . “
