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Updated: Apr 20, 2026
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Bronchial Thermoplasty: A Novel Therapeutic Approach to Severe Asthma
Published on: November 4, 2010
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Pathobiology of severe asthma
Humberto E Trejo Bittar1, Samuel A Yousem, Sally E Wenzel
1Department of Pathology.
Annual Review of Pathology
|November 26, 2014
Summary
Severe asthma (SA) is a complex condition affecting 5-10% of patients, characterized by poor treatment response and high costs. Research is identifying specific molecular phenotypes to guide targeted therapies for this challenging disease.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Pathobiology
- Immunology
Background:
- Severe asthma (SA) affects a heterogeneous patient group with limited response to standard treatments.
- SA patients represent 5-10% of all asthma cases, incurring a disproportionately high economic burden.
- Pathological pathways and structural changes in SA have been extensively researched.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the pathobiology of severe asthma.
- To discuss limitations in current SA research and identify emerging phenotypes.
- To link pathological findings to specific clinical/molecular phenotypes for targeted therapies.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on severe asthma pathobiology.
- Analysis of studies linking pathology, molecular markers, and targeted therapies.
- Examination of inflammatory cells, pathways, and structural changes in SA.
Main Results:
- Limitations in pathological approaches (sampling, assessment, heterogeneity) hinder definitive understanding.
- Emerging research links specific inflammatory cells and pathways to distinct SA phenotypes.
- Structural and remodeling changes are associated with severe disease, correlating with clinical/molecular phenotypes.
Conclusions:
- Identifying molecular phenotypes is crucial for understanding SA heterogeneity.
- Linking pathology to molecular markers facilitates the development of targeted therapies for SA.
- Further research is needed to overcome limitations and refine SA phenotyping for improved treatment strategies.
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