Jan 25, 2021 11:00am
Australian researchers found a protective effect of L-tyrosine and p-cresol sulfate in mouse asthma models as well as preclinical models of lung inflammation caused by COVID-19. (Pixabay)
One of the questions researchers have about the microbiome—the population of bacteria that live in the gut—is how it might be influenced by the immune system. A team of researchers from Monash University's Central Clinical School in Melbourne, Australia, set out to answer that question, and in the process found two molecules the scientists believe could offer new treatment strategies for asthma.
One of the molecules, L-tyrosine, is sold over the counter as a dietary supplement. So, the researchers plan to fast-track it into clinical trials. If it works, they believe it might also be used to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in COVID-19 patients, they reported in the journal Nature Immunology.