“Chameleon” Immune Cells Linked To Severe Asthma

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- A set of chameleon-like immune cells could be contributing to severe asthma in some patients.

Intermediate group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) appear to be able to get around cutting-edge asthma treatments by transforming into another type of immune cell.

Targeted biologic drugs have revolutionized the treatment of severe asthma driven by eosinophils, which are white blood cells linked to ILC2s, researchers noted in a recent study in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

However, not all patients respond to these biologic drugs -- and the fact that ILC2s can transform themselves could be a reason why, researchers said.