Researchers have identified a protein in human lungs that, when activated, could significantly ease breathing for asthma patients. Early tests on mice show remarkable promise with a novel drug.
Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cause airway swelling, leading to severe breathing difficulties. In France, asthma affects about four million people and results in nearly 60,000 hospitalizations annually. COPD, often underdiagnosed, impacted an estimated 3.5 million people (7.5% of the population) in 2010, per INSERM data.
Scientists from the University of Glasgow and the University of Technology Sydney have uncovered a potential breakthrough for both conditions.
Free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFA4), previously known in the gut and pancreas for regulating blood glucose via dietary fats, is also present in human lungs. Building on this, the team developed drugs to activate FFA4 in mice engineered with respiratory issues.
Published in Science Translational Medicine, these treatments reduced lung inflammation from pollutants, cigarette smoke, and allergens like dust mites. They also relaxed airway muscles, improving airflow.
"We were surprised to find that targeting a protein activated by fish oils in our diet could relax airway muscles and prevent inflammation," says lead researcher Andrew Tobin, PhD, from the University of Glasgow. "We're optimistic about advancing this into new treatments for asthma and COPD."
Christopher Brightling, professor of respiratory medicine at the University of Leicester and study co-author, notes this mechanism "offers hope for effective new drugs for patients unresponsive to current therapies."
Standard asthma treatments like beta-agonist inhalers (e.g., Ventolin) relax muscles but fail for some patients, leaving few alternatives for acute attacks.
While human trials are years away, this novel pathway holds strong potential based on rigorous preclinical evidence.
