The Next Revolution in Asthma: Towards Novel Therapies of T2-low Asthma

Background: Until recently, asthma was considered as a single, allergic, eosinophilic, type 2 inflammation (T2)-mediated and glucocorticoid-responsive disease. T2-low asthma is characterized by normal or low levels of T2 inflammation markers. Clinically, it is characterized by poor response to glucocorticoids.

This means that these patients suffer from asthma symptoms, exacerbations and hospitalizations despite standard therapy.

Currently, there are no specific markers nor treatable traits that can be used in clinical practice, meaning that T2-low asthma patients do not get any targeted therapy.

Our hypothesis is that there are several clinically relevant and distinct T2-low asthma phenotypes and that these phenotypes associate with specific treatable traits.Aims are to:1.To identify novel T2-low asthma phenotypes and measure the burden of T2-low asthma. 2.To develop targeted therapies by identifying novel treatable traits of T2-low asthma.Work plan: The clinical and inflammatory profile of patients with asthma in the West Sweden Asthma Study (WSAS) will be determined.

With data triangulation, we have a unique opportunity to significantly increase the understanding of asthma phenotypes, their mechanisms, and how this disease evolves over time.

Significance: With this research project, we will identify previously insufficiently described phenotypes of asthma, with the long-term goal of developing novel disease management approaches, and potentially cures for asthma.