A new cellular map of the lung to better understand asthma

Researchers have created a type of lung cell atlas that could help identify new drug targets for asthma. Working with cell samples from healthy people and those with asthma, scientists characterized differences in the lungs and nasal airways that could explain what drives the disease that affects more than 350 million people worldwide. One difference was the presence of a mucus-creating cell state in samples from asthma patients, which could explain the overproduction of mucus that is characteristic of the condition. In contrast to the diversity of cell types that were interacting in healthy people, the vast majority of interactions in cells from asthma patients were among immune cells, underscoring the inflammatory response that those with the disease experience. The findings help to demonstrate lung biology and the mechanisms of asthma, the authors write.