b'u From Page 43The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology advises that chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), which involves inflammation of the nose and sinus cavities, is one of the most common medical conditions worldwide, reported to affect almost 12% of the adult population. About 20% of patients with CRS have nasal polyps, benign growths in the nasal cavities that are thought to originate from the ethmoid sinuses and tend to be present in both sides of the nasal cavity, according to AAAAI. Source: AAAAI website, https://www.aaaai.org/tools-for-the-public/conditions-library/allergies/nasal-polypsWhile there is no doubt that fungus has a centralCorry and other researchers also recently studied use role in allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis/asper- of a small molecule antagonist of signal transducer gillosis (ABPA), expanding the criteria for its diag- and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) and STAT nosis may allow for better treatment outcomes. The5. Both prove necessary for the expression of airway Rosenberg-Patterson criteria, the most commonlymycosis-dependent asthma and blocking their ability used criteria for diagnosis, call for the strict adher- to transactivate key asthma-related genes effectively ence to several metrics that make the diagnosis ofprevented and even reversed airway hyperresponsive-ABPA exceedingly difficult and likely leading toness in airway mycosis-related asthma in mice. 2significant underestimation of the true prevalenceThese discoveries portend exciting future research of this condition, the authors note. In particular,that will further unlock the mechanisms by which expanding the criteria to include individuals with- molds,butalsoyeasts,elicitallergicinflamma-outasthmaofcysticfibrosiswouldenablemoretion that will in turn inform future clinicians as to patients to find relief through the use of antifun- improveddiagnosticandtherapeuticapproaches, galtherapiesinadditiontofirst-linesystemicthe VA researchers and their colleagues concluded. corticosteroids.Undoubtedly, these additional findings will extend Anumberofbiologicsandothernewtherapiesto other diseases related to fungi. have joined the treatment armamentarium in recent1Li E, Rodriguez A, Luong AU, Allen D, Knight JM, Kheradmand years.WithgreaterunderstandingoftheimmuneF, Corry DB. The immune response to airway mycosis. Curr Opin systemresponse,monoclonalantibodiesinclud- Microbiol. 2021 Aug;62:45-50. doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.04.009. Epub ing omalizumab, mepolizumab and dupilumab are2021 May 27. PMID: 34052540; PMCID: PMC8286351.under study, particularly for CF and ABPA. Novel2Sun H, Damania A, Mair ML, Otukoya E, Li YD, Polsky K, Zeng Y, deliverysystemsforcorticosteroidsalsoprovideAlt JA, Citardi MJ, Corry DB, Luong AU, Knight JM. STAT6 Block-ade Abrogates Aspergillus-Induced Eosinophilic Chronic Rhinosinus-an option beyond systemic treatment to reach deepitis and Asthma, A Model of Unified Airway Disease. Front Immunol. into sinus cavities to treat fungus-induced CRS with2022 Feb 23;13:818017. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.818017. PMID: nasal polyps.35281012; PMCID: PMC8904741.46'