Researchers announced the discovery of a new molecule that can prevent asthma attacks. A recent study shows promising results for the nearly 25 million Americans who suffer from asthma.

The study was conducted by researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham), the Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces (Germany), the Free University of Berlin (Germany), UC San Diego, and Shinshu University (Japan).

The newly discovered molecule works by preventing T-cells from starting the inflammatory response to allergens.

Minoru Fukuda, lead researcher and a professor in the Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis Program at Sanford-Burnham, said in a statement, “We have identified a synthetic molecule, a sulfate monosaccharide, that inhibits the signal that recruits T-cells to the lungs to start an asthma attack.” He continued, “The molecule substantially lessened asthma symptoms such as inflammation, mucus production, and airway constriction.”

An asthma attack occurs when the body’s immune system is triggered in response to a perceived threat, including pollen, dust, smoke, or other airborne irritants.

Each year, billions of dollars are spent on asthma medications, yet the condition accounts for 25 percent, or 1.75 million, emergency room visits each year. Additionally, asthma is on the rise.

Mike Tringale, senior vice president at the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, a national asthma patient organization, said in a statement, “There is currently no cure for asthma, and asthma control remains elusive for many patients, so there is still a need for research to find new therapies.”

Fukada concluded, “Pulmonary inhalation of this new molecule may help reduce asthma symptoms by suppressing chemokine-mediated inflammatory responses. We look forward to the further development of the molecule to treat the millions of people who suffer from this chronic disease.”