Could a bitter compound give clues about asthma?

For a long time, scientists thought the taste receptors that signal sweet, bitter, or salty were found only in our taste buds. Then, things started to get weird.
Six years ago, researchers found taste receptors in the cells of the gut. Even more bizarre, scientists found them in cells that line the airway, and in the muscles that contract during an asthma attack. Basic scientific research began to suggest that bitter chemicals had potential as an asthma treatment. That is when Ronghua ZhuGe, a University of Massachusetts Medical School microbiologist, began to pay attention.....

Source: bostonglobe.com



Better support for young asthma sufferers

Health Minister Tony Ryall says this government is investing $200,000 into a research project to identify more effective ways to manage childhood asthma.
"New Zealand rates of respiratory diseases are much higher than in many comparable countries," says Mr Ryall.....

Read full story at nzdoctor.co.nz



Kids overcome asthma at the 18th annual Asthma Olympics

About 30 kids ran, jumped and threw footballs in search of a gold, silver or bronze medal Sunday at Central High School, learning tips along the way about how to manage asthma.
Organized by the American Lung Association, the 18th annual Asthma Olympics was held to encourage children with asthma to participate in athletics and to be active, organizers said......

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