According to experts from the Edinburgh University, a potential cancer drug on trial, R-Roscovitine, can exacerbate symptoms associated with asthma in addition to killing certain immune cells.

It was revealed by the experts that the drug can prove its effectiveness for treating asthma who are resistant to asthma steroid treatment apart from treating cancer patients.

From News.bbc.co.uk:

The scientists studied the effect the drug had on immune cells known as eosinophils.

Eosinophils, found in the lungs and airways, help the body fight off parasitic infection.

‘Unwanted side-effects‘

However, too many uncontrolled eosinophils can damage other cells that line the lung, contributing to inflammatory conditions such as asthma.

Researchers found that use of the drug caused the eosinophil cells to undergo a form of cell death known as apoptosis, a natural process where unwanted cells are removed from the body.

Professor Adriano Rossi, of the centre for inflammation research at Edinburgh University who directed the study, said that the use of this cancer drug on trial can be hailed as an alternative to steroids that come with unwanted side effects and the drug can be used in conjunction with steroid treatment for asthma patients.