An early 2015 study published in Science Translational Medicine has suggested that calcium-sensing receptors (CaSRs) play a significant role in asthma, which has offered hope for a new treatment. In patients with asthma, the immune system overreacts to environmental particles and causes obstructive constriction of the bronchioles, leading to difficulty breathing. Certain inflammatory proteins released during an asthma attack, particularly eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), activate the CaSRs and lead to intracellular calcium release and increased smooth muscle contraction in bronchioles. We already have access to medications that block the action of ECP and prevent CaSR activation. One of these drugs, calcityrol, is currently used to treat osteoporosis. When it was administered to mice, asthma-related inflammation was markedly reduced. More research is needed, however, since the concentration of CaSRs seems to be higher in patients with asthma. Thus, the dose of calcityrol needed to control asthma is unknown and may be above what is considered “safe,” especially for use in children.

Popular News Article: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2015/04April/Pages/Asthma-cure-within-five-years-researchers-hope.aspxl

Scientific Article: http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/7/284/284ra60.full

Group Members: Erika Becerra, Madeline Bell, Lochan Bellamkonda, Matthew Baechle, Andrew Blanchard