Specialized T Cells May Trigger Severe Asthma Attacks in Older Men
Published:31 Oct.2023 Source:University of Southampton
Scientists from the University of Southampton and La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), in California, have uncovered a group of immune cells that may drive severe asthma. These cells gather in the lungs and asthma patients with these cells in their lungs may be more likely to have hard-to-treat, and potentially fatal, asthma attacks.
The scientists uncovered these T cells, called 'cytotoxic CD4+ tissue-resident memory T cells'. The T cells are called "memory" cells because they react to molecules that the body has previously fought off. They help protect the body from viruses and bacteria, but the same T cell memory is a big problem for asthma patients. Their misguided T cells see harmless molecules, such as pollen, and produce a dangerous inflammatory response.
Single-cell RNA sequencing by LJI scientists provides a 'biomarker' to help detect cytotoxic CD4+ tissue-resident memory T cells in more patients going forward. Before now, scientists and clinicians separated asthma patients into just two groups: 'T2 high' and T2 low'. In a study published earlier this year, the research team showed the importance of drilling down to identify many more asthma patient subgroups; their analysis reveals that 93 per cent of WATCH subjects with severe asthma were in the T2 high category. The researchers now want to use sequencing tools and other techniques to discover additional biomarkers and asthma patient subtypes.