The study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, paves the way for completely new drugs for the treatment of asthma.

Asthma is characterized by inflammation and narrowing of the respiratory tract.

Among the many triggers of asthma are mold, pollen of plants, dust mites, animal dander, some medications and physical activities.

In developed countries, every 12th resident suffers from asthma.

Anxiety is caused by the fact that the incidence is steadily growing. For example, in the United States over the past 10 years, the number of patients has increased by more than 5 million people.

"Modern medications for the treatment of asthma successfully eliminate symptoms in many patients, but in severe asthma they are not 100% effective. Today, a number of new agents for allergic asthma are being developed, but the need for alternative drugs is still high, "says the new study leader Ruth Sander of the University of Leicester.

The rapid increase in the incidence of asthma, its potential risks and gaps in drug therapy make this area of ??research a priority.

Studying the molecular mechanisms of asthma.

British scientists focused on the role of a specific protein HMGB1, or amphoteric, in the development of the disease.

HMGB1 helps to organize DNA and regulates transcription (transfer of genetic information from DNA to RNA for further synthesis of any cell proteins).

It is well known that HMGB1 is produced by immune cells - monocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells - and participates in an inflammatory response. It is logical to assume that this protein plays a role in the development of an asthmatic attack, and blocking HMGB1 would help in the treatment of asthma.

"We demonstrated that HMGB1 is really involved in the mechanism of disease development. This substance is produced by damaged cells, and its content in the respiratory tract with asthma significantly increases, "say the authors.

According to Dr. Sander, a researcher in the Department of Immunity, Inflammation and Infectious Diseases, this is the first study in the world to prove the direct action of the HMGB1 protein on the respiratory tract in bronchial asthma. The results obtained will allow creating fundamentally new medicines against asthma - drugs that suppress the proinflammatory effects of HMGB1.

Unfortunately, Dr. Sander's project only outlined the contours of future therapy.

New drugs go a long way from the laboratory to the drugstore counter, and it's not certain that HMGB1 inhibitors will ever appear in clinical practice.

medbe. en.