Opening the Window of Immune Opportunity: Treating Childhood Asthma

Asthma is an increasingly common childhood disease and although most patients can control their symptoms with medication, a proportion experience life-threatening symptoms. The advent of novel biologic therapies represents a giant leap forward for asthma treatment, but efficacy is rarely tested in children. Recent mechanistic work in mice suggests that early life is a key period for immune development and, therefore, allergen sensitization. Although children with severe asthma experience significant comorbidities and are at increased risk for serious diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as adults, no specific investigation into tailored treatment for young children with severe asthma exists. Here, we propose how new information regarding early life immunity could be used to inform modified treatments for children.