Chinese scholars have discovered "switches" that regulate asthmatic airway remodeling

Release date: 2017-04-26

The global incidence of chronic airway diseases is high, and the molecular pathogenesis of diseases is still unclear. Zhejiang University's molecular mechanism research on chronic airway disease has achieved innovative research results, and successfully found a "switch" to regulate asthma airway remodeling. At the Zhejiang Science and Technology Awards Conference held on the 19th, the project was awarded the first prize of Zhejiang Natural Science Award.

Chronic airway diseases, mainly including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, have become a major public health problem worldwide due to their morbidity and mortality increasing year by year. However, the molecular pathogenesis of these diseases is not clear, and there is no effective treatment in clinical practice.

“A statistic shows that the number of patients with chronic airway diseases in the world is one billion.” The project leader, deputy dean of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, and director of the Department of Respiratory Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine said that the project is in the 973 project and Under the auspices of several National Natural Science Foundations, a series of innovations have been achieved.

In life, many asthma patients have such experiences, and they are stimulated by external factors such as pollen and cold air. Wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness follow. "After recurrent asthma, it will cause airway remodeling. Many of these reconstructions are irreversible," Shen Huahao said.

The project team has made innovative research results in the field of asthma airway inflammation and airway remodeling molecular mechanisms. It was first discovered that the expression of protein tyrosine phosphatase (SHP2) in asthmatic airway epithelial cells is increased, and the "switch" of SHP2 regulates airway. Epithelial cell damage and the production of transforming growth factor-β effectively regulate asthma airway remodeling. Experiments have shown that SHP2-specific knockout of epithelial cells can effectively reduce airway remodeling in asthma.

"After the structural changes, the airway will not stretch, and the lung function will decline. People live a breath, relying on this airway, a meal, a mouthful will be dead." Shen Huahao said that this theoretical breakthrough is the next step. Clinical trials provide the basis.

In addition, the project team has carried out a series of basic research in the field of asthma targeted prevention and achieved outstanding results, confirming that multiple small doses of BCG in early life can prevent airway remodeling in asthma and clarify the induction of BCG from immunological mechanisms. The role and mechanism of Th1 type cells in inhibiting asthma.

It is reported that 10 representative papers of the project have been cited 291 times by SCI magazines such as The Lancet and other international core journals, of which 224 were cited.

Source: Xinhuanet

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