Asthma Drug Could Help Prevent Patients From Even Having An Attack

New findings published in the journal Science Translational Medicine show that researchers in Wales and England have now developed a highly effective asthma drug that may have uncovered asthma's root cause via an effective asthma drug.

In a recent study, they explored the breathing disorder from both mouse and human airway models by using tissue from asthmatic and non-asthmatic individuals that highlighted the body's calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) and the main culprit in triggering asthmas symptoms - airway narrowing, airway twitchiness and inflammation.

"Our findings are incredibly exciting," lead researcher Daniela Riccardi, a professor at Cardiff University School of Biosciences, said in a news release. "For the first time we have found a link airways inflammation, which can be caused by environmental triggers - such as allergens, cigarette smoke and car fumes -- and airways twitchiness in allergic asthma."

"If this research proves successful we may be just a few years away from a new treatment for asthma, and we urgently need further investment to take it further through clinical trials," added Dr. Samantha Walker, the policy and research director at Asthma UK.

Researchers found that the CaSR modles were in overdrive when asthmatic tissue was irritated by external stimuli as the immune system of allergy patients overract from pollen or other particulates. 

During the study, researchers also deomonstrated the effectiveness of a class of drugs known as calcilytics that are meant to manipulate CaSR in lab experiments reversed asthma symptoms. 

Of course, the drug is not new. The first was developed as a treatment for osteoporosis around 15 years ago but found generally ineffective in treating the condition. However, it could help millions of asthma patients who do not respond well to current treatment options.

The research demonstrated their impressive effectiveness, which helped manipulate CaSR and in lab experiments reversed asthma symptoms, despite that calcilytics are currently mostly used to treat osteoporosis.