The traditional way to classify diseases was by their symptoms. But more and more, doctors and scientists are looking at the biological mechanisms that cause the symptoms, and not just the symptoms themselves. This has lead some scientists to believe there are different subtypes of asthma which, though they may have similar symptoms, are caused by different mechanisms and would benefit from different treatments.
Approximately 70,000 people live with Cystic Fibrosis, a hereditary respiratory disorder caused by faulty genes. That number is growing; an estimated 1,000 new cases of CF are documented each year.
Fortunately, scientists around the world are working on a new treatment called gene therapy. In this therapy, “copies of a normal gene are inserted into the DNA of cells to counter the effects of the faulty gene.”
We still don’t know exactly what causes asthma. “We know that asthma is related to genes, environment, and the interaction between the two,” said Jin-Ah Park. “But asthma remains poorly understood.”
Park is one of the lead authors on a new study that could impact how various diseases such as asthma and cancer are understood and treated.
When diagnosing pulmonary diseases such as asthma and tuberculosis, doctors frequently use sputum analysis. This analysis is both very important (different types of asthma require different medications) and difficult. The current process requires large samples, shipping those samples to trained operators in specialized labs, and handling of the potentially contagious specimens.
After years of asthma rates rising all around the world, we finally have some good news: in the UK, asthma rates have gone down 10% over the last ten years.
The results come from one of the oldest and longest running asthma surveys in the world-- the Aberdeen School Asthma Study.
A year ago we wrote about bronchial thermoplasty, a new asthma treatment that works by searing off part of the airway muscles which enlarge and restrict breathing during an asthma attack. A device was developed to do this, Alair, and then purchased by Boston Scientific for $193,500,000. Executives estimated it would become a billion dollar industry by 2020.
Researchers are currently testing an inhalable ebola vaccine on animals, hoping to move on to human trials in the near future. So far, things look promising. The potential vaccine being tested is a mixture of a weakened respiratory virus-- parainfluenza virus type 3-- and an Ebola virus glycoprotein. The combo is called HPIV3/EboGP.
In the news this week, a woman is claiming to have cured her asthma through laughing exercises. She started taking laughter classes to treat her depression, but found they also greatly improved her respiratory health. She is now training to lead her own classes and thinks laughter therapy would be a good option for other asthmatics.
In New Zealand, 1 out of every 7 children takes asthma medication. It’s estimated that 550,000 school days are lost to asthma every year, and students with asthma often have lower reading achievement.
That’s why New Zealand’s Asthma Foundation wanted a fun, engaging way to raise asthma awareness amongst all students.
Eating a high fiber diet during pregnancy may make your child less likely to develop asthma, says a new study by microbiologist and immunologist Dr. Alison Thorburn. According to the study, when fiber is broken down acetate, an anti-inflammatory chemical, is produced and passed to the fetus, making the fetus less likely to develop asthma.
C-sections may increase an infant’s risk of developing asthma, diabetes, and obesity, according to a new report by the Institute of Reproductive and Child Health in Beijing.
When analyzing past research, report authors Dr. Jan Blustein and Jianmeng Liu found 23 studies linking Cesarean births to asthma, 20 linking them to type 1 diabetes, and 9 linking them to obesity.
June is the peak month for grass pollens and if you have allergies, you’ve probably noticed. But fear not, for there is a new and innovative allergy treatment: toothpaste.
Specifically, a toothpaste called Allerdent. Unlike most allergy medications, it doesn’t just help with the symptoms. Its goal is to make you immune to your allergen.
