NEW YORK (Jan. 29, 2008) — An enzyme released by mast cells in the lungs appears to play a key role in the tightening of airways that is a hallmark of asthma — pointing to a potential new target for treatment against the illness. Reporting in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team at Weill Cornell Medical College explains that during an immune response, mast cells release the enzyme — called renin — which in turn produces angiotensin, a potent constrictor of the smooth muscle that lines airways.
