Welcome to our March research update! Getting involved with research is an important way to impact asthma and allergy treatments, education, and awareness.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) works with doctors, researchers, patients, caregivers, public health, and government agencies to conduct and support research that is important to people affected by asthma and allergies.

Here are current research opportunities you can get involved in as a person with asthma or allergies (or as a caregiver for someone with asthma and allergies):

Interviews and Focus Groups

Participants Needed for Adolescent Asthma Self-Management Study

Researchers at Texas Woman’s University want to learn more about adolescent asthma self-management. The researchers would like to understand the experiences and perspectives of adolescents living with asthma. Adolescents will have a chance to speak about their asthma control, asthma tools, and experiences. The study format will be a private interview. Interviews will take place via Zoom.

Who may qualify to participate in this study?

• Adolescents living with asthma
• 12-18 years old
• English speaker

The study participants will be given:

• $20 Amazon gift card
• Asthma resources
  
  

Participation is voluntary. You can stop the sessions at any time. There is a potential risk for loss of confidentiality in all email downloading, electronic meetings, and internet transactions. If you have further questions about the study, please call Elif Isik (PhD, RN) at (713) 794-2109 or email her at eisik@twu.edu.

LEARN MORE

Latest Asthma and Allergy Research News

Routine Bronchoscopy May Help Guide Therapies for Severe Asthma
Bronchoscopy is a procedure that uses a thin, lighted tube (bronchoscope) to look at the airways in the lungs. It can help find inflammation in the lungs caused by asthma and allergies. New research shows that routine bronchoscopy may make it easier to identify treatment pathways for people with severe uncontrolled asthma who are being considered for biologic therapy. The results show that after receiving a bronchoscopy, many participants had comorbidities that worsen asthma control – such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD, 21%), vocal cord dysfunction (5%), and tracheal abnormalities (3%). Finding these comorbidities can help doctors manage treatable traits.

Low-Cost Device Can Measure Air Pollution Anywhere
Air pollution is a known public health problem that can make asthma and allergy symptoms worse, but it is not always widely measured. An MIT research team is now rolling out an open-source version of a low-cost, mobile pollution detector. It could allow people to track air quality on a larger scale. The detector, called Flatburn, can be made by 3D printing or by ordering inexpensive parts. Flatburn has been tested and calibrated. It compared to existing state-of-the-art machines. The makers are sharing information about how to build and deploy it. The goal is for people and communities to be able to measure local air pollution, identify its sources, and share feedback with key stakeholders to improve air quality.

DUPIXENT® (Dupilumab) Application for Treatment of Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU) in Adults and Adolescents Accepted for FDA Review
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted an application for review for DUPIXENT® (dupilumab) to treat people 12 years and older with uncontrolled chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). CSU is an inflammatory skin condition driven in part by type 2 inflammation. It causes sudden hives and swelling on the skin. CSU is typically treated with antihistamines. But up to 50% of people with CSU have uncontrolled CSU. The application is supported by data from two Phase 3 trials (LIBERTY-CUPID Studies A and B), looking at DUPIXENT in two different patient groups with uncontrolled CSU. The potential use of DUPIXENT in CSU is currently under clinical development. The safety and efficacy have not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority.

DUPIXENT® (Dupilumab) Demonstrates Potential to Become First Biologic to Treat COPD by Showing Significant Reduction in Exacerbations in Pivotal Trial
Results from a Phase 3 trial has found that DUPIXENT, a biologic treatment, may help people with uncontrolled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and type 2 inflammation. The trial results showed that people taking DUPIXENT had a 30% reduction in moderate or severe acute COPD flare-ups, improved lung function, better quality of life, and improved COPD respiratory symptoms over the course of a year. The results also demonstrate the safety and effectiveness in DUPIXENT for people with COPD are about the same for people taking DUPIXENT for other approved conditions.