'This Disease' That Even Asthma Medication Doesn't Respond To: Is a Path to Treatment Opening? Reporter Lee Jae-won (jwl@kormedi.com)

A new treatment effective for neutrophilic asthma, an intractable respiratory disease, has been discovered. Managing this disease has been difficult because symptoms did not improve even with existing asthma medications.

A joint research team consisting of Professor Yoo Ji-hwan and Dr. Han Seung-han from the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Yonsei University College of Medicine, Professor Emeritus Yoon Joo-heon from Yonsei University, and Professor Hwang Dae-hee and Dr. Hyun Do-young from the Department of Life Sciences at Seoul National University announced on the 25th that they have discovered a group of cells that reduce the inflammatory response of asthma.

The results of this study were published in the latest issue of the international academic journal Nature Communications (IF 14.7).

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes shortness of breath, characterized by the narrowing or swelling of the airways, making it difficult for air to reach the lungs. It is treated with inhaled and systemic steroids, but 'neutrophilic asthma' is one type of refractory asthma in which the response is minimal even with high doses of steroids.

The progression of neutrophilic asthma is exacerbated by the excessive activation of neutrophils. Although the signaling pathways of the IL-23 cytokine and Th17 inflammatory cells are known to be key factors in the pathogenesis, the exact cause has not yet been identified.

Through mouse disease models and single-cell gene (RNAseq) analysis, the research team discovered for the first time a population of immune cells (CD39+CD9+ macrophages) that suppresses the induction of hyperinflammation by IL-23/TH17.

 

In mice with neutrophilic asthma, the levels of CD39+CD9+ macrophages were less than 1%, but increased to 5% when an antibody inhibiting IL-23 activity was injected. In addition, the proportion of neutrophils in the bronchi decreased by 90%, and Th17 cells decreased by 80%.

Subsequently, when CD39+CD9+ macrophages were injected, the proportion of neutrophils decreased by 62% and Th17 cells by 63%, respectively. These reductions indicate that the specific immune cell group discovered by the research team alleviates neutrophilic asthma.

 

Professor Yoo Ji-hwan stated, “This study plays a crucial role in understanding the overall mechanisms of neutrophilic asthma, including its causes and treatments,” adding, “We expect that the use of IL-23 activation inhibitors and specific cell populations (CD39+CD9+ macrophages) will be helpful in treating patients with refractory asthma, including neutrophilic asthma.”

 

 

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Neutrophilic asthma, an intractable respiratory disease

 

Fortunately, there are no asthma patients around.

Looking at this makes me cough uncontrollably.

 

It would be very helpful if a cure were available.