MONDAY, Sept. 27, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- A new type of T-cell that reduces asthma and airway inflammation in mice has been identified by scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
This finding reinforces the theory that a lack of regulatory T-cells, known as Tregs, is a prime cause of asthma and allergies.
"It's likely that Tregs aren't functioning or developing properly in people who suffer from asthma and allergies," research team leader Dr. Dale Umetsu, a professor of pediatrics, said in a prepared statement.
"This new understanding of the fine characteristics of regulatory T-cells brings us closer to developing therapies that will provide cures for allergies, asthma and perhaps a number of other diseases involving immune dysregulation," Umetsu said.
The study appears in the Sept. 26 online issue of Nature Immunology.
Two years ago, the same research team identified another type of T-cell that reduces airway inflammation and asthma in mice.
More information
The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about asthma.
