Washington.– Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University have shown that the nerves in the lungs, which cause the airways to narrow during asthma attacks, release eotaxin, a substance that attracts eosinophils, a type of white blood cell, to the nerves.  

David Jacoby and colleagues showed that the eosinophils stimulate the nerves to release acetylcholine, further narrowing the airways. When the researchers blocked the effects of eotaxin, they prevented this excessive airway narrowing. 

They were also able, for the first time, to isolate airway nerves from humans and maintain them in cell culture, allowing them to study how these nerves interact with eosinophils.  

These findings suggest that blocking eotaxin and the interactions of eosinophils with nerves will be helpful in treating asthma. The results appear in the January 4, 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.