Scientists at Rutgers Health have discovered that a simple blood test could diagnose asthma and determine its severity, a breakthrough that could make asthma diagnosis easier and faster, and help doctors better monitor and treat the disease.
Attacking Asthma
At Rutgers Health, our research listens and takes action. When we see a problem, like asthma, we attack it. We’re making major breakthroughs, for you.
1 in 4 kids in U.S. cities lives with asthma.
Asthma is an incredibly common lung disease, affecting about one in 20 Americans of all ages, including millions across New Jersey. It causes inflammation and narrowing of the airways that can lead to serious symptoms like wheezing and difficulty breathing.
These realities drive asthma research at Rutgers Health, where we believe everyone deserves to breathe easier. Researchers at the Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science are attacking asthma head-on, and turning what we learn in our labs into real-world solutions.
Video description: A magnified view of lung tissue shows the walls of a small airway contracting during an induced asthma attack in an experimental model.
The world’s first simple blood test for asthma.
Rutgers Health researchers, led by Reynold Panettieri, vice chancellor for Translational Medicine and Science, recently discovered that a simple asthma blood test could diagnose the disease, and help determine the severity and treatment options.
Currently, diagnosing asthma involves specialists and breathing tests, which can be especially difficult for young children. Soon, it could be just a pinprick, said Panettieri, whose team is now working on developing a version of a blood test that could be used right in doctors’ offices.
Rutgers Attacks Asthma
Major Breakthroughs
Learn more about our latest discoveries and the ongoing asthma research at Rutgers Health. We’re committed to better understanding all aspects of the disease, from childhood asthma, to diagnostic methods, new treatments, and more.
Findings from a first-of-its-kind virtual trial in pulmonary medicine, conducted at Rutgers and other institutions, suggest that adding an inhaled corticosteroid to rescue therapy could sharply reduce the danger of severe asthma attacks for millions of people with mild asthma.
Rutgers scientists have identified key growth factors that are produced in the airways of patients with severe asthma that explain why they don’t respond to current therapies — a discovery that could lead to new treatments for asthma.