A team of scientists at the University of Hull has discovered a new group of molecules on the surface of nerve cells that makes us cough when something irritates our airways.
Thetosis a common symptom that arises as a mechanism ofdefendingto help therespiratory tractto clean itself of secretions, foreign particles and microbes. Yet when it becomes somethingchronic“It can be socially isolating and disabling and people from all over Europe come to my cough clinic because the disorder is ruining their lives,” says Professor Alyn Morice, who is responsible for the study, which was presented at the annual conference of the British Pharmacological Society.
Until now, research to combat coughs has focused on the receptorTRPV1, which produces the cough reflex when stimulated withcapsaicin, an extract of the chili. Although several companies came to produce potential drugs to block this receptor, this line of research was halted when they discovered that doing so also increased the body temperature of patients, which was dangerous. Professor Morice and his team have chosen another receiver, calledTRPA1, which is involved in the individual’s ability toTo feel coldand that produces the cough reflex when stimulated with a cinnamon extract. Now they intend to study its chemical composition to develop drugs that reduce its response. “We do not want to completely eliminate cough in patients, because it is necessary to stay healthy, among other things because it prevents us from suffering from pneumonia,” explains Morice. “The goal is to restore normal sensitivity,” he adds.
