Researchers at the Cleveland Clinic have identified a new molecule that is responsible for airway inflammation in severe asthma. The protein, MCEMP1, has been found to be highly expressed on mast cells, leading to increased levels of inflammation. However, when MCEMP1 was eliminated from the surface of mast cells, inflammation was reduced, offering a new avenue for treating severe asthma on a biological level. The study offers critical information for developing therapeutic interventions to treat long-term lung conditions, including asthma, that currently affect more than 25 million people in the US and 300 million people worldwide.
Severe asthma is caused by airway inflammation in response to a trigger, including allergens or air pollution. The inflammation causes the airway to swell up and become narrower and stiffer, which makes breathing difficult. Inhalers can treat the inflammation in the airway, but they do not address the underlying biological causes of the recurring inflammation.
The study was conducted in a lab led by Jae Jung, PhD, chair of the Cancer Biology Department, director of the Infection Biology program, and director of the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Global Center for Pathogen & Human Health Research. The research involved examining mast cells to determine which proteins on the cells are critical to prompting a severe immune response. Researchers found that MCEMP1, a surface-level protein on mast cells, was associated with elevated mast cell numbers. When MCEMP1 expression was eliminated from the surface of the mast cell, researchers saw reduced airway inflammation and lung damage.
The study showed that MCEMP1 is highly expressed in lung cells, and its expression is induced during immune response in other parts of the body as well. According to Dr. Youn Jung Choi, the first author of the paper and a postdoctoral fellow involved in the research, understanding how this mechanism works in the lung not only provides a path to new therapies for asthma, but it could also help map out similar functions in other inflammatory diseases in the lung and throughout the body. This underscores the need to consider the biological mechanisms of asthma and related lung conditions, as it could pave the way for novel treatments that address the underlying biology of these conditions and improve the lives of millions of people worldwide.
The study highlights the value of continued research into the underlying mechanisms of asthma and the importance of exploring new treatment options that target the underlying biology of the disease. With further research, it is hopeful that MCEMP1 could be used as a therapeutic target for the development of new treatments for severe asthma and other inflammatory diseases that affect the lungs. The findings of this study are promising and offer hope to millions who live with asthma and related lung conditions on a daily basis. As research in this area continues, there is growing optimism that novel treatments will emerge that address the underlying biological causes of these conditions and improve the lives of patients around the world.
