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USC study reveals role of iron in allergic asthma and points to potential new therapies - EurekAlert
<p>New USC research shows that iron serves as a gas pedal driving certain immune cells that cause inflammation in the lungs during an allergic asthma attack – and blocking or limiting iron may reduce the severity of symptoms. The study reveals key details about the mechanism behind the link, including that ILC2s depend on iron to generate energy. The research team conducted a series of tests using both human cells and mouse models. They found that ILC2s use iron to fuel a range of cellular processes, therefore making it instrumental in activating the immune cells. In mice, preventing iron uptake in ILC2s reduced the severity of asthma symptoms. In human cells, increased ILC2 activity and iron uptake were correlated with asthma severity, suggesting that ILC2s and iron play an important role in more serious cases of the disease. The findings could lead to new treatments offering relief to patients with asthma and a range of other allergic diseases.</p> <p> </p>
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