Allergic asthma stopped in its tracks by blocking newly discovered culprit

Scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified a new iron-catalyzed pathway in allergic asthma (affecting 60% of the 28 million Americans with the condition) and demonstrated in mouse models that suppressing iron availability or blocking the iron-GSDMD pathway significantly reduces airway irritation, inflammation, and mucus production.

The pathway has only been identified in mice; further human studies are needed to determine if iron plays the same role in human airways.