Just breathe

Asthma in children is a long-lasting condition caused by allergic cells accumulating in the lung. A key cell in asthma is the “eosinophil”, and an increased number of eosinophils in the airways means that the airways become more “twitchy” and narrow unexpectedly. Regular therapy with inhaled steroids aims at suppressing allergic cells, thus decreasing airway twitchiness and reducing the tendency to wheeze. However to date, paediatricians have not been able to assess directly allergic inflammation in children’s lungs.

Recently, a new method has been developed that is a safe way of directly sampling eosinphils from the lower airways. It involves breathing a salty mist then coughing up small parts of plugs of airway cells. It is unknown whether knowledge of the level of airway eosinophils improves the targeting of asthma therapy in children. As a result of funding from Barts and The London Charity, this study will build world-class capacity in sputum induction and inflammometry in children, and place Barts and The London Children’s Hospital at the forefront of paediatric asthma research.