A new nasal swab test has been developed to diagnose the specific immune system drivers behind childhood asthma, potentially leading to better treatments for kids. According to researchers, accurate diagnosis of asthma subtypes, also known as endotypes, is crucial for effective therapies.
Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood, affecting about 1 in every 10 children. Traditionally, doctors classify asthma into different subtypes based on immune cells that cause inflammation and block airways. The new test uses nasal swab samples to analyze genetic markers linked to T2 or T17 immune cells.
The researchers collected nasal samples from nearly 460 kids and analyzed them for the presence of eight genes related to these immune cells. The results showed that the nasal swab analysis accurately revealed each child’s asthma subtype. This breakthrough could lead to better treatments for kids with T2-high asthma, which affects up to 29% of children.
Currently, no treatments exist for T17-high and low-low disease subtypes. However, the development of new drugs targeting immune cells that drive these diseases may be possible thanks to the accurate diagnosis of endotype.
The rapid test could also aid in other areas of asthma research, such as understanding why some kids experience worsening symptoms during puberty or better outcomes after treatment. By measuring endotype, researchers can start to answer questions about how it changes over time or in response to treatments.
Source: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2025-01-02/fast-easy-nasal-swab-helps-diagnose-asthma-type-in-kids