A hot probe that blasts defective nerves in the lungs could help thousands of asthma sufferers breathe more easily.
The one-off, hour-long treatment involves inserting a device into the airways to destroy overactive nerves in the lungs that cause breathing difficulties.
It’s hoped the revolutionary technique will bring relief to those with severe asthma who struggle to keep it under control with medication.
Asthma affects about 5.4 million people in the UK. Many manage their condition well with a combination of inhaled steroids – to prevent attacks – and pumps to open up the airways in the event of one.
Nuvaira is a new asthma treatment that could help thousands of sufferers with severe asthma. The one-off, hour-long treatment involves inserting a device into the airways to destroy overactive nerves in the lungs that cause breathing difficulties (stock image)
But one sufferer in ten has severe asthma that often fails to respond to standard treatments. The consequences can be fatal – asthma kills an average of three people a day in the UK.
The new treatment, which is called Nuvaira, deploys a ground-breaking therapy called targeted lung denervation.
It’s based on the discovery that a faulty nerve that runs from the brain to the lungs may be partly to blame for asthma flare-ups.
For many years, the illness was thought to be due solely to the immune system overreacting to allergens – such as pollen – or viruses, like a cold.
But scientists now know it can also be worsened by problems with the vagus nerve – a twisting bundle of pathways running from the chest to the brain.
Branches of the vagus nerve control the muscles in the airways that manage the breathing.
In healthy lungs, the nerve sends signals to the muscles to ensure they contract and relax smoothly, allowing the airways to inhale and exhale properly.
But if the nerves are faulty, these muscles become overactive. As they tighten more and relax less, the airways become narrowed and breathing becomes harder.
Destroying these branches of the vagus nerve blocks the faulty signals, stopping the muscles in the airways from tightening and allowing more air to pass into the lungs.
Denervation involves the patient being given a general anaesthetic and a device called a bronchoscope being inserted through the mouth and into the lungs.
The treatment works by inserting a device called a bronchoscope through the mouth and into
