Asthma Origins and Remission Study

Asthma is characterized by chronic airway inflammation of the large and small airways. Asthma patients often have episodes with symptoms of dyspnea, wheezing and nocturnal awakening. Currently available inhaled anti-inflammatory treatments reduce the airway inflammation and treatment but do not cure the disease. Therefore asthma patients often need life-long treatment to control their asthma. In a small subset of patients, their asthma resolves spontaneously. This phenomenon is called asthma remission. Subjects with asthma remission do not experience symptoms or signs of airway inflammation anymore and do not require inhaled treatments. Some subjects with asthma remission also have a completely normal lung function without signs of bronchial hyperresponsivess: they have complete asthma remission. Unfortunately, asthma remission occurs only in a small subset of 15-25% of asthma patients.Objective: to determine the underlying mechanisms and molecular events leading to remission of asthma.