Researchers developed a nasal swab test that helps identify specific asthma subtypes or endotypes in children, which can be difficult to detect. The non-invasive approach could help physicians prescribe current asthma medications more precisely and pave the way towards more personalized treatments for asthma.
Published in JAMA, the findings could be particularly beneficial for Puerto Rican and African American children, who tend to have higher rates of asthma and are more likely to die from the disease than white children.
For the study, researchers collected nasal samples from a total of 459 youth across three different studies. Then they analyzed the gene expression of different asthma endotypes. The analysis revealed new biological insights into these endotypes in a way that allows easier detection.
Gustavo Matute-Bello, M.D., Acting Director of the Division of Lung Diseases at the NHLBI, says that the findings represent an important scientific advance. “Having tools to test which biologic pathways have a major role in asthma in children, especially those who have a disproportionate burden of disease, may help achieve our goal of improving asthma outcomes,” said Matute-Bello, who is not one of the study’s coauthors. “By characterizing asthma endotypes in children disproportionately affected by asthma, this research has the potential to pave the way for more personalized treatments, particularly in minority communities. More studies are needed.”