Breakthrough discovery could hasten asthma cure
Published: September 28, 2004
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered a new type of regulatory T cell that reduces asthma and airway inflammation in mice, giving credence to the theory that a deficiency of such cells is a prime cause of the breathing disorder as well as allergies.
The team’s research not only provides a detailed profile of these new-found cells, but also throws light on how such cells are related to other T cells, and suggests that there exists a spectrum of regulatory T cells, known as Tregs.
“It’s likely that Tregs aren’t functioning or developing properly in people who suffer from asthma and allergies. This new understanding of the fine characteristics of regulatory T cells brings us closer to developing therapies that will provide cures for allergies, asthma, and perhaps a number of other diseases involving immune dysregulation.”
Dale Umetsu, professor of pediatrics and lead author of the study
The Stanford researchers have been studying the Tregs, which appear to act as the immune system’s peacekeepers, signalling to other T cells when to hold off from attacking an intruder. Two years ago, they identified one type of Treg cell that could reduce airway inflammation and asthma in mice. And now, they have identified another type of regulatory T cell that produced the same result: the airways of mice that received injections of the cells were not inflamed despite confrontation with allergens.
The team’s findings also show that all of the Tregs share important features that might explain how they exert a calming influence on their battle-hungry brethren.
“We have now found several subtypes of regulatory T cell, and we are proposing how these are all interrelated. We believe this study provides a scaffold for future studies of regulatory T cells,” explained Umetsu.
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