Gadolinium oxide could cure asthma
Pollen levels have been increasing again since March. This presents significant challenges for allergy sufferers, particularly individuals with asthma. The latter can experience life-threatening attacks due to airborne tree and flower pollen. However, there is hope: researchers at King’s College London have, in their work, identified a potential therapeutic approach using gadolinium oxide that might even cure the disease.
Inhalers only combat the symptoms
Worldwide, 260 million people suffer from asthma, with 70 million in the EU alone. To date, there is no permanent cure for the disease. While inhalers containing albuterol combat the consequences of an asthma attack, they do not address its causes. They reopen the airways, alleviate inflammation, and remove the mucus blocking the air supply. However, they do not remove the dead cells discovered by scientists that repeatedly trigger such attacks.
Gadolinium oxide removes dead cells
Using gadolinium oxide, scientists succeeded in removing the epithelial cells in the trachea that die due to the narrowing of the airways during an asthma attack. They were able to demonstrate this in an experimental setup using a mouse lung and human airway tissue. The next step is to make gadolinium oxide applicable within the human body. Prospects for this are good, as this has previously been achieved when using this rare earth as a contrast agent for MRI.
Further potential applications for constriction-related diseases
The researchers’ discovery may also lead to progress in other areas of medicine. Epithelial cells are also found in other parts of the body, making general use for constrictions, such as in the intestine, conceivable. In any case, new prospects are opening up for the medical metal gadolinium, which also makes it more interesting for investors.