New therapeutic targets for virally-induced asthma attacks suggested
Sunday, May 29, 2011 - 12:00
in Health & Medicine
When children with asthma get the flu, they often land in the hospital gasping for air. Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have found a previously unknown biological pathway explaining why influenza induces asthma attacks. Studies in a mouse model, published online May 29 by the journal Nature Immunology, reveal that influenza activates a newly recognized group of immune cells called natural helper cells presenting a completely new set of drug targets for asthma.