16 April, 2024
The latest CME Online module is now available on the ERS Respiratory Channel. This module is on the topic of ‘the role of epithelial cell biology in pulmonary disease’. The module is directed by Prof. Teal S. Hallstrand and co-directed by Prof. Sejal Saglani and Prof. Gerard H. Koppelman.
Asthma, one of the most common problems in respiratory medicine, originates in childhood for most individuals with this disease, and persists into adulthood for many. A major shift in understanding the basis of asthma came from studies associating gene variants that are prominently expressed within the epithelium, and the way that the epithelium interfaces with immune cells. Biomarker and diagnostic tests have been developed to better define both the presence and the “type” of asthma in addition to traditionally defined metrics of severity.
This module will see the experts discuss pathogenesis of asthma focusing on the epithelium, the use of diagnostic tests to better characterise asthma and the selection of both conventional and biological therapies for asthma.
After completing this module, participants should be able to:
- Understand the progression of asthma from childhood through to adulthood, and the role of the epithelium in the development and progression of asthma.
- Familiarise themselves with diagnostic tests for asthma physiology and laboratory tests that can inform the approach to therapy.
- Select appropriate conventional and biologic therapies for persistent asthma.