A NEW Medical Journal of Australia supplement sets out the first evidence-based roadmap for curing asthma, with AI, epigenetics and next-generation molecular biology converging to go beyond putting asthma in remission and make disease reversal plausible.
The work provides the foundation for the upcoming CURE Asthma Symposium on 20-21 Nov in Melbourne, where Australia's leading respiratory scientists, clinicians and data experts will map a national effort to shift asthma research from treatment to cure.
While most asthma can be successfully treated with combination inhalers that blend a steroid preventer with a long-acting reliever, those with severe or difficult-to-control asthma have had their lives immeasurably changed by injectable biologics, according to Asthma Australia.
The advent of biologics has redefined severe asthma care and shown that remission is possible, with around one-third of patients on biologics achieving what is called "on-treatment remission", where they live free of daily symptoms.
However, a true cure is lacking.
"We are at a critical juncture in the scientific discovery of cures for asthma," said Kate Miranda, CEO of Asthma Australia.
"Australia has the research excellence, the partnerships and the technological capacity to achieve what once seemed impossible," she continued.
"With sustained investment and national focus, we can realise a future where asthma is no longer a lifelong disease."
Building on this foundation, Australia's next major research effort involves utilising artificial intelligence to explore large datasets within the national CURE-ADIRE (Asthma Data Research Integration Engine) initiative.
Australia has the richest and longest cohort studies in the world, and researchers are aggregating data from 11 studies and more than 75,000 patients, including detailed clinical profiles, lung function results and biological samples, into a single AI-enabled platform.
The project is being led by Australian researchers who discovered the IL-5 and IL-4 pathways behind today's biologics, such as mepolizumab, benralizumab and dupilumab.
"CURE Asthma represents a turning point," said Anthony Flynn, Head of Health Knowledge and Translation at Asthma Australia.
"Our progress in treating asthma has been extraordinary, but it's time to shift our focus to curing it.
"The technology, the people, and the platforms are here, and Australia is uniquely placed to lead the way."
The articles in the MJA supplement outline current knowledge about the nature of asthma and a realistic research strategy for finding transformative new therapies, while supporting the call for large, sustained and focused funding for CURE Asthma over the coming decade.
The supplement is available HERE.
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