Share:
Studies Can Newly Detected Molecule Cure Chronic Asthma?
Asthma is a worldwide problem. And especially in Western industrial nations, allergies continue to increase. In Germany alone ten to fifteen percent of all children suffer from asthma. The disease is often aggravated by environmental factors. It is quite possible to effectively alleviate the disease symptoms. The cause itself can not yet be treated effectively. Worldwide there are estimated to be more than 300 million asthma patients. Now a molecule has been found that is significantly involved in the development of allergic asthma.
What is asthma?
The cramping of the muscles in the bronchial wall, the swelling of the bronchial mucosa and the concomitant production of viscous mucus is characteristic of asthma. This is followed by typical symptoms such as severe coughing and a feeling of tightness in the airways. These symptoms can increase and trigger an asthma attack.
The patients have a permanent inflammation of the bronchial mucosa. This leads to hypersensitivity of the respiratory tract. Typical symptoms for asthmatics include symptoms such as persistent coughing, wheezing, and seizure-related respiratory distress. In an acute asthma attack is a spasm of the bronchial muscles added. This leads to a reduced exhalation.
The development of asthma is significantly influenced by the molecule syndecan-4. (Image: WavebreakmediaMicro / fotolia.com) Forms of asthma
Asthma is generally divided into two forms. However, mixed forms are possible. Allergic or extrinsic asthma is caused by an allergy. This is to be regarded as cause of the asthma. The triggers are usually house dust mites, animal hair, pollen and mold. In non-allergic asthma, the disease is often compounded by infections. In addition, sinusitis, nasal polyps or acetylsalicylic acid intolerance often occur. Many factors can affect asthma. These include, among other things, the weather, chemical irritants, fragrances, air pollutants (especially cigarette smoke) but also emotional stress.
Researchers discover molecule that triggers asthma
Dr. Tobias Polte and his team from the Department of Environmental Immunology at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) found the protein Syndecan-4 (SDC4). He was assisted by Jan Simon and his colleagues from the Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology at the University of Leipzig. Syndecan-4 is found in the human body in the cell membrane of so-called antigen-presenting cells (APCs). The task of these immune cells is the detection of foreign substances (antigens). These are picked up by them and then transported to the next lymph node. On their surface, the antigens are presented to other immune cells (T lymphocytes).
This triggers a chain reaction. Sensitization is now initiated, depending on the antigen. For example, if a human has been sensitized to pollen allergens, it causes the typical symptoms of allergic asthma to reoccur after contact with this type of pollen. The study showed that syndecan-4 plays a central role in the migration of antigen-presenting cells in tissue, said the researcher Tobias Polte. If syndecan-4 is missing, antigen-presenting cells (APCs) will not find their way to the nearest lymph node. There, T lymphocytes can not be activated. This has the consequence that no chain reaction can be set in motion and thus the sensitization for the occurring antigen is omitted.
Syndecan-4 (SDC4) and its effects on the human body
The researchers of the University of Leipzig were able to prove in their investigations that Syndecan-4 also has an effect on other processes in our body. The molecule also influences the inflammatory process of allergic asthma in the antigen-presenting cells (APCs). It seems to play a central role here. In experiments, mice with allergic asthma were given antibodies to syndecan-4. As a result, the disease symptoms of rodents improved rapidly. The absence or blocking of syndecan-4 results in impaired mobility of the molecules.
The migration and the associated transport of foreign substances is also uncoordinated and the molecule syndecan-4 has problems transporting its transported antigens to a lymph node. As a result, no modified sensitization occurs and this leads to a reduced inflammation of the respiratory tract. The results show that SDC4 plays a very important role in the induction of asthma. The molecule syndecan-4 seems to be a potential target for the future therapeutic treatment of asthma disorders. The study was published in the journal "Nature".
Syndecan-4: Important building block for finding new therapeutic methods
The researcher Tobias Polte from the "UFZ" explained that syndecan-4 would in principle be a good starting point for new therapeutic options. But the molecule SDC4 would have many other different functions in cell metabolism. Therefore, side effects are still difficult to estimate and could not be excluded. Nevertheless, patients with allergic asthma will continue to be dependent on treatment with glucocorticosteroids and bronchodilator asthma sprays. This will not change much in the next few years.
Effective therapies that can be used to combat the cause of asthma will only be possible when the connections between the development of allergic asthma are better understood. Polte. But in the study ees had succeeded in identifying an important building block with syndecan-4. This success represents a big step in the search for new therapeutic methods. (As)