https://medicalxpress.com/pulmonary-medicine-news/ en-us Latest medical news and research in Pulmonary medicine A team from the University of Bonn and the Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center (FZB) has discovered a previously unknown mechanism of action for a synthetic peptide that mitigates excessive inflammatory responses in allergic asthma. This mechanism specifically inhibits a key inflammatory switch in the immune system and opens new avenues for treating chronic inflammatory diseases. The findings have been published in the journal Advanced Science. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-synthetic-peptide-blocks-key-asthma.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:40:01 EDT news703855981 A machine learning tool that analyzes information already captured in a child's electronic health record helped pediatricians more accurately assess asthma risk in standardized clinical case scenarios, according to a pilot randomized clinical trial led by a Regenstrief Institute researcher. The study was published in Scientific Reports. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-machine-identification-asthma-children.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 08:00:05 EDT news703250326 Researchers estimate that more than 80 million U.S. adults are living with obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which the soft tissue at the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airway during sleep. This blockage causes shallow or irregular breathing that lowers oxygen levels, decreasing sleep quality and raising the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-hypoglossal-nerve-obstructive-apnea-downstream.html Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:40:01 EDT news703497838 Cancer develops when the body's systems for controlling cell growth break down, allowing cells to multiply unchecked. Texas A&M researchers have identified two naturally occurring molecules that appear to help restore those controls, offering a potential new strategy for slowing the progression of lung cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-microrna-discovery-strategy-lung-cancer.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 16:40:02 EDT news703437951 Pulmonary fibrosis is a deadly disease in which scar tissue grows in the lungs, making breathing more difficult. Approximately 2,170 Australians are diagnosed annually with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a form of the disease with no known cause and very few treatments. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-lung-diseases.html Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:40:05 EDT news703406553 Neuroimmunology, the study of interactions between the nervous and immune systems, is a rapidly growing field enabling new approaches for monitoring and treating inflammatory diseases. In a study published in Immunity, scientists showed that, in mice, stimulating a nerve in the external ear may help ease inflammation in the lungs. Based on these findings, the researchers are designing a clinical trial to test a novel device for treating asthma. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-ear-nerve-eases-lung-inflammation.html Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:00:23 EDT news703229086 Ultrafine particles (UFPs) –smaller than 100 nanometres and invisible to the naked eye—contribute substantially to illness and mortality worldwide. That is the finding of an international study led by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz and The Cyprus Institute, with cardiologists from Mainz University Medical Center among the co-authors. The researchers estimate that around 1.99 million deaths per year worldwide are attributable to exposure to ultrafine particles. That accounts for about five percent of all deaths from non-communicable diseases. Roughly half of these are due to cardiovascular disease. The researchers therefore advocate for binding limit values. The study appears in the journal Cardiovascular Research. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-ultrafine-air-particles-million-premature.html Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:20:01 EDT news703263496 Future therapies for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) must target both the virus and the immune response to ensure babies get the best possible outcomes, a new study by researchers at UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) finds. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-clues-treatment-rsv-babies.html Mon, 13 Jul 2026 05:00:03 EDT news702890283 A study led by biomedical scientist Erica Heinrich at the University of California, Riverside, highlights a critical gap in how clinicians detect and treat breathing distress (dyspnea), particularly in patients on ventilators. The research is published in the journal Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-oxygen-severe-breathlessness-driven-carbon.html Sun, 12 Jul 2026 17:00:01 EDT news702746063 New research has uncovered a hidden pathway that allows COVID-19 to infect the immune system and trigger damaging inflammation in the lungs. The study by La Trobe University and WEHI researchers found SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can hide inside tiny fragments of dying infected cells, known as apoptotic bodies (ApoBDs). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-hidden-pathway-covid-infection-triggers.html Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:40:01 EDT news702807388 A landmark Northwestern Medicine study published in JAMA suggests lung transplantation can significantly extend survival in select patients with advanced lung cancer. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-lung-transplant-survival-patients-terminal.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 15:20:03 EDT news702737704 A research team led by experts at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has documented new evidence that excess abdominal fat increases the risk of developing non-small cell lung cancer. Published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the findings show that the immune system's attack on developing tumors is undermined in obese patients, contradicting earlier studies suggesting that patients with a high body mass index (BMI) are at lower risk for the disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-obesity-lung-cancer-suppressing-immune.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 10:40:09 EDT news702721636 A single night of sleep testing may not be enough to diagnose sleep apnea, with new Flinders University research revealing that night-to-night variation can lead to missed or incorrect diagnoses. The study, published in npj Digital Medicine, found that analyzing sleep over multiple nights may provide a more accurate picture of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), challenging the longstanding reliance on one-night sleep studies. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-night-apnea-misclassify-patients.html Wed, 08 Jul 2026 10:20:05 EDT news702721620 Chinese researchers have revealed the key role of iron in initiating allergic airway inflammation. The study, which was published in Cell, was conducted by a team led by Prof. Sun Bing from the Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science (Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), along with Prof. Liu Xing's team from the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of CAS. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-iron-trigger-asthma-linked-airway.html Mon, 06 Jul 2026 15:50:01 EDT news702571216 Silicosis—a devastating, incurable lung disease caused by inhaling silica dust—is surging worldwide, fueled by a new wave of aggressive cases in young tradespeople working with engineered stone. Despite its growing impact, the biological triggers that turn silica exposure into life-threatening lung inflammation and scarring have remained poorly understood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-airway-cells-immune-trigger-silicosis.html Mon, 06 Jul 2026 09:20:01 EDT news702543899 Researchers have long sought to discover why babies who weigh less than expected at birth, a condition known as small for gestational age, or SGA, are at higher risk for heart, lung and metabolic diseases as adults. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-molecules-link-weight-babies-chronic.html Fri, 03 Jul 2026 12:00:04 EDT news702290792