🫁 Important discovery: new molecules responsible for asthma identified

Asthma is a respiratory disease that affects millions of people worldwide. It causes inflammation of the bronchi, making breathing difficult.

American researchers have recently discovered a new type of inflammatory molecules called "pseudo-leukotrienes." These molecules resemble the already known leukotrienes, but their formation process is very different. They appear when free radicals, unstable molecules, oxidize fats present in our cells.


Classic leukotrienes are produced by specific enzymes that control their creation. In contrast, pseudo-leukotrienes form in a more chaotic manner, under the effect of oxidation. This discovery, led by Professor Robert Salomon from Case Western Reserve University, challenges what we thought we knew about the causes of asthma. It shows that certain inflammations could be triggered by chemical reactions that were poorly understood until now.

To detect these new molecules, researchers developed highly sensitive analysis techniques. By comparing the urine of asthma patients and healthy individuals, they found that sick individuals had levels of pseudo-leukotrienes up to five times higher. These concentrations also increased with the severity of the disease, suggesting that these molecules play a direct role in the intensity of asthma attacks.

This discovery could change how asthma is treated. Today, medications aim to block the receptors that react to leukotrienes. In the future, treatments might instead prevent the formation of pseudo-leukotrienes themselves. This would help reduce excessive inflammation without suppressing the body's natural defenses. Scientists also want to know if these molecules are involved in other respiratory diseases like bronchiolitis.

The implications go beyond asthma. Professor Salomon's team is now investigating a possible link between these inflammatory mechanisms and certain brain diseases like Parkinson's or Alzheimer's. This could explain why some medications intended for asthma sometimes seem beneficial in treating neurological disorders. Understanding these chemical reactions could pave the way for new therapies for several chronic diseases.

Free radicals play a central role in this discovery. These highly reactive molecules are naturally produced by our cells, but their quantity increases with pollution, smoking, or stress. When they become too numerous, they damage cells by causing oxidative stress. It is this imbalance that leads to the formation of pseudo-leukotrienes. This reaction illustrates how a normal metabolic phenomenon can, when it becomes excessive, trigger chronic inflammation and diseases like asthma.