A new molecular mechanism has been discovered that could explain how the common cold can stimulate a life-threatening asthma attack.

The most common cause for asthma attacks is the infection of airways by viruses, which account for 80 to 90 percent of all cases of asthma attacks. Most of these viruses are known as the ‘rhinovirus’, which is the main cause for developing the common cold.

Most people only develop a minor cold after being infected by the rhinovirus; however, those with a respiratory disease like asthma can suffer a severe attack that can lead to hospitalization.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it’s estimated that about 235 million people suffer from asthma across the globe.

An asthma attack involves the swelling or inflammation of the lining of the airways, as well as the thickening and increased production of mucus. Common symptoms of an asthma attack include difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

Researchers from the Medical Research Council (MRC) & Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma at Imperial College London and King’s College London compared cells from asthma sufferers to those from healthy individuals. They demonstrated that cells from an asthmatic lung developed 10 times more of a cytokine called IL-25 than those from a healthy lung. IL-25 may play a key role in how rhinoviruses affect asthmatics.

Increased IL-25 was found to be linked to an increase in other cytokine levels, and that inhibiting IL-25 with an antibody lowers other cytokine levels. This may suggest that IL-25 could be a target for future medications to prevent asthma attacks.

Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Research and Policy at Asthma UK, stresses the importance of continued research to uncover the mystery of asthma, as well as to develop new drugs to prevent life-threatening attacks.

“Excitingly, this research, although still at an early stage, could potentially lead to the development of new medicines to prevent life threatening asthma attacks,” said Walker in a statement.

The findings of the study are published in Science Translational Medicine.