Asthma Cardiff University study sparks good news, hope for asthma sufferers

An asthma study at Cardiff University allowed researchers to show that a receptor referred to as the "calcium sensing receptor," or "CaSR," actually causes asthma. The findings also revealed that the condition could be treated by using drugs that are already established, which are called calcilytics, BBC reports.

Mouse models were used in the study so that researchers could learn more about asthma and human airway tissue from asthmatic and non-asthmatic people. News Medical reports that the asthma Cardiff University study was published Fri. in Science Translational Medicine journal. Cardiff University researchers collaborated with scientists at Kings College London and the Mayo Clinic (USA) in the project. About 300 million people worldwide.

Calcilytics could reverse symptoms of asthma, such as airway narrowing, airway twitchiness, and inflammation. This makes breathing difficult. Principal investigator, Professor Daniela Riccardi, from Cardiff University School of Biosciences,says of this report: "Our findings are incredibly exciting. For the first time we have found a link between airways inflammation, which can be caused by environmental triggers - such as allergens, cigarette smoke and car fumes and airways twitchiness in allergic asthma.

"Our paper shows how these triggers release chemicals that activate CaSR in airway tissue and drive asthma symptoms like airway twitchiness, inflammation, and narrowing. Using calcilytics, nebulized directly into the lungs, we show that it is possible to deactivate CaSR and prevent all of these symptoms."

Calcilytics was an unsuccessful approach in treating osteoporosis about 15 years ago, but this drug asthma cough may have a real purpose now -- by "re-purposing" it. It'll be two years before testing is done on humans once funding is http://www.medicinenet.com/asthma/focus.htm secured. It could be five years before experts know if it's safe to inject calcilytics into human lungs to alleviate symptoms -- and stop asthma altogether, Riccardi said. The asthma Cardiff University study may have come up with a breakthrough cure for the common condition. The all-clear to move forward looks very probable.

http://www.examiner.com/article/asthma-cardiff-university-study-sparks-good-news-hope-for-asthma-sufferers