A better understanding of Asthma Remission

Asthma cannot be cured to date; current treatments reduce the severity of symptoms or reduce the risk of an asthma attack. However, there is a small chance that one "grows over asthma". This phenomenon is called asthma remission. People with asthma remission no longer have respiratory problems and therefore no longer need to take inhalation medication. It is interesting to investigate which biological factors lead to the development of asthma remission, as this may lead to better prediction of the course of the disease and new asthma medications in the future.

The aim of this project was to investigate the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of asthma and asthma remission in airway biopsies obtained by bronchoscopy. To this end, a large cohort was used of more than 230 well-characterised individuals distributed over the following groups: a) active asthma, b) remission of asthma and 3) healthy controls. This research has yielded a large number of new insights. Analysis of gene expression and DNA methylation has identified some new leads for therapeutic intervention, in which biological processes, especially in airborne epithelium, play an important role. In addition, microRNAs and lung non-coding RNAs are involved in asthma remission. A promising target is miRNA-320, of which an increased expression in airway epithelium is accompanied by anti-inflammatory effects.