New class of drugs reverses symptoms of asthma in animal models.

[2greys]

An international team of scientists, led by the University of Glasgow, has announced findings that could pave the way to a new treatment for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The breakthrough findings, published today in Science Translational Medicine, identify a new class of drugs that reverse the symptoms of asthma in animal models.

Researchers also found that the same drugs, when applied to lung samples obtained from human donors, showed effects similar to those seen in the animal models. Scientists believe that these combined findings offer new hope that these drugs could provide new medicines for human inflammatory lung disease.

The drugs used by the Glasgow team work through a mechanism that is distinct from currently prescribed medicines for asthma and COPD. The findings describe a route to alternative treatments for patients suffering from severe forms of asthma and COPD, that are not controlled by current frontline treatments.

gla.ac.uk/news/headline_735...

[Tugun]

Very Interesting - Thank You.

"The new approach is centred on the activation of a protein that, up until now has been known to respond to fats contained in our diet. The protein, called free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFA4), is found in the gut and pancreas where it is activated by dietary fats including the fish oil omega 3. Once activated FFA4 is known to help control levels of glucose in our blood.

Surprisingly the Glasgow team found FFA4 is also present in human lung.

By designing a new class of drugs that activate FFA4 in the lung, the researchers found that the muscle that surrounds the airways relaxes allowing more air to enter the lung. They also found that activators of FFA4 also reduced inflammation caused by exposure of mice to pollution, cigarette smoke and allergens like house dust mite that cause asthma."

[Ergendl in reply to Tugun]

Another good reason to include oily fish in the diet?

[2greys in reply to Ergendl]

Which I continue to consume at least twice a week

[Tugun in reply to Ergendl]

Absolutely!