Asthma, a prevalent chronic lung condition affecting millions worldwide, remains a significant health concern. However, recent breakthroughs in research conducted at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) offer hope for a deeper understanding of the disease and potential avenues for treatment.
Insights from CNPRC’s Inhalation Exposure Core
The CNPRC’s Inhalation Exposure Core provides a unique platform for investigating the environmental influences on asthma development. Due to its location in Northern California, where wildfire smoke and air pollution can occur, this facility is instrumental in studying mechanistic and therapeutic aspects of lung diseases. Collaborating with experts from the CNPRC Cardiorespiratory Diseases Unit, researchers explore asthma’s origins in both children and adults, crucial for developing effective treatment strategies.
As of now, there isn’t a cure for asthma, but progress continues to be made through research and there are treatments available to help manage and control its symptoms. Lisa Miller, head of CNPRC’s Inhalation Exposure Core, emphasizes the importance of nonhuman primate models in asthma research, offering insights into the disease across different stages of life.
Understanding Asthma Variability
Asthma is characterized by airway sensitivity to environmental triggers, which can lead to restricted breathing and potentially fatal consequences if untreated. The disease varies among patients, with some, particularly adult females, experiencing non-allergen induced asthma resistant to standard treatments.
A recently developed nonhuman primate model of non-atopic asthma mirrors human conditions and could offer significant benefits to approximately 7.5 million Americans. Rhesus macaques can naturally exhibit airway hyperreactivity akin to non-allergen induced asthma, making this model remarkably reproducible and valuable for research purposes.
Early Behavior, Later Breathing
A unique longitudinal study conducted at CNPRC, known as the biobehavioral assessment program (BBA), revealed intriguing connections between infant behavior and later asthma development. Behavioral inhibition, a temperament defined by fearful responses to novelty, in infancy correlated with airway hyperreactivity in juveniles and adults, highlighting the interplay between behavior and health outcomes.
CNPRC researchers discovered a link between behavioral inhibition in infancy and the development of asthma phenotypes. They conducted a study involving 49 rhesus macaque monkeys, tracking their development from infancy to yearling status. Of these monkeys, 24 exhibited behavioral inhibition during infancy and later showed airway hyperresponsivity as juveniles.
The Right Resources for Research
CNPRC’s Inhalation Exposure Core, comprising expert scientists and advanced facilities, is pivotal in testing potential asthma treatments and airway hyperreactivity, either naturally in non-atopic asthma or in response to toxic inhalants such as the pollutant ozone (O3).
Recent studies, including one involving a novel drug derived from flaxseed, showcased promising results in preventing immune changes related to asthma symptoms and help assess whether the non-atopic asthma monkey model would be sensitive to novel antioxidant compounds.
Results revealed specific immune changes caused by O3 exposure, and the treatment successfully prevented immune changes associated with asthma symptoms. Consequently, the drug tested in the rhesus macaque model of non-atopic asthma is now slated for clinical trials in human asthmatics.
Further Exploration
As asthma manifests in various forms and developmental stages, the rhesus monkey model remains crucial for developing and testing new therapies. The CNPRC’s Inhalation Exposure Core stands as a beacon of hope in translational cardiorespiratory disease research, offering invaluable insights with global implications.
In conclusion, the ongoing research at CNPRC not only unveils a reproducible animal model of human asthma but also underscores the intricate relationship between behavior, personality, and health. These findings pave the way for further exploration into asthma’s complexities and the development of targeted interventions, offering hope for asthma patients worldwide.
