Asthma Immune Cells Increase During Biologic Treatment, Study Finds

New Delhi: A new study has found that while biologic drugs have helped many people with severe asthma manage their symptoms, they may not completely get rid of the immune cells that cause inflammation. This could explain why asthma symptoms often come back after the treatment is stopped. The study was done by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and published in the journal Allergy.

Biologics such as mepolizumab and dupilumab are newer treatments that target specific parts of the immune system. They are often used when standard asthma medications are not enough. However, the researchers wanted to better understand how these drugs affect the immune system over time.

The study looked at blood samples from 40 patients before and during treatment with biologics. Using advanced lab techniques like flow cytometry and single-cell sequencing, the researchers studied the types and behavior of immune cells involved in asthma. Surprisingly, they found that some of the immune cells responsible for inflammation actually increased during treatment instead of decreasing.

“This suggests that biologics might not attack the root of the problem, no matter how much they help asthma patients during treatment,” said Professor Jenny Mjösberg from Karolinska Institutet’s Department of Medicine in Huddinge. She added, “Continued treatment might be necessary to keep the disease under control.”

Lorenz Wirth, a doctoral student involved in the study, said, “This could explain why inflammation of the airways often returns when the treatment is tapered or discontinued. It is important that we understand the long-term immunological effects of these drugs.”

Because biologics have only been used in asthma patients for less than 10 years, not much is known about their long-term effects. The research team now plans to study patients who have been on these treatments for longer periods. They will also analyze lung tissue to see how these immune cells behave in the airways.

The findings show that while biologics can be effective in managing severe asthma, ongoing treatment may be necessary, and more research is needed to fully understand how these drugs work in the long run.