Dissecting the contribution of IL-17-producing γδ T cells to the pathogenesis of airway diseases

Airway diseases such as severe steroid-refractory asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are an enormous worldwide burden and have a huge public health impact. Approved drugs for these two diseases provide symptomatic relief but they do not halt the disease process, and curative therapy remains elusive. We have discovered a possible cause of chronic bronchitis, and using advanced techniques we are now probing for ways to turn this discovery into an effective treatment option.