There is no known asthma cure at this point in time.

However, scientists researching asthma at the Stanford University School of Medicine have taken a critical first step toward a cure. Their research into a cure has led to the discovery of a new type of regulatory T cell that reduces the severity of the condition and airway inflammation in mice.

The study seems to indicate that a possible cure lies in increasing the number of T cells in the body. The research into a cure offers not only a detailed description of these newly-discovered cells, but also could lead to greater understanding of how such cells are related to other T cells.

A cure may not be that far away, now that scientists know that a deficiency of T-cells appears to be a primary cause of both asthma and allergies. The research into a a cure indicates there is a vast spectrum of T-cells, which are also called Tregs.

Dale Umetsu, a professor of pediatrics and lead author of the asthma cure study, says that it is likely that Tregs are not working properly in individuals who suffer from this condition and also allergies. Umetsu said the new understanding of the characteristics of T-cells will bring scientists closer to a cure.

In addition to a cure, the new information could lead to therapies for allergies and other diseases involving immune dysregulation. Tregs appear to be vitally important for a cure, because they act as the immune system's peacekeepers, offering signals to other T-cells about attacking an intruder.

Two years ago, the research team figured out that one type of Treg cell could lessen airway inflammation and asthma in mice, raising hopes for a cure. On the way toward finding a cure, the research team stumbled upon another type of T cell that produced the same result: airways were not inflamed, despite allergen contact.

Tregs appear to have a calming influence on other cells, a fact which indicates that a cure may be within reach. The study will apparently be used as a basis for future studies of T-cells, the possible building blocks for a cure.