New link to asthma

Researchers at King's have established a significant link between asthma and an immune response called 'Th17', previously only attributed to inflammatory conditions such as multiple sclerosis. Until now, the Th2 response was recognised as the predominant immune response behind asthma symptoms due to its association with allergic inflammation. In a new study, however, researchers have for the first time uncovered the role of Th17, which is co-ordinated by a specific type of white blood cell that produces lung-damaging molecules. Asthma is often triggered by an immune response mounted against an inhaled allergen, which leads to inflammation or swelling in the airways. The research, published in Mucosal Immunology this week, highlights a significant link between Th17 and airway remodelling in asthma, which involves structural changes and thickening of the airways. These changes make the lungs susceptible to severe asthma attacks by disrupting the control mechanisms that prevent asthma in healthy individuals. Alistair Noble, and his team of researchers from the Division of Asthma, Allergy and Lung Biology at King's, tested the contribution of the Th17 response to lung inflammation, following prolonged exposure to an allergen.