The following is a summary of the “T-helper 2 mechanisms involved in human rhinovirus infections and asthma,” published in the December 2022 issue of Allergy and Clinical Immunology by Price, et al.

The common cold and its associated respiratory symptoms are almost always caused by human rhinovirus (HRV). Human respiratory viruses can cause life-threatening consequences for those with asthma, cystic fibrosis, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In addition, various innate and adaptive host immune responses cause a spectrum of consequences from mild to severe.

In this overview, the researchers talk about how this virus causes disease and how the host’s immune system reacts to it. They zero in on the immunological reactions, such as alarmins that may distort a T-helper type 2 response in people with allergic asthma.

They also talk about how a lack of an effective innate immune response to interferons plays a part in this. Finally, based on the existing evidence, they discuss therapeutic alternatives for HRV-associated exacerbations of asthma, such as biologics and intranasal sprays.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1081120622006950