Pathogenesis and Personalized Management of Asthma

A special issue of Journal of Personalized Medicine (ISSN 2075-4426). This special issue belongs to the section "Mechanisms of Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026 | Viewed by 329

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Biomedical Science, Department of Science and Engineering, Solent University Southampton, Southampton SO14 0YN, UK
Interests: molecular diagnostics of allergic disease, asthma, and lung cancer

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Guest Editor
1. NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK
2. School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
3. The David Hide Asthma and Allergy Research Centre, Newport PO30 5TG, Isle of Wight, UK
Interests: allergy; immunology; immunity; asthma
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Asthma is a chronic, heterogeneous airway disease affecting millions worldwide, with significant morbidity and healthcare burden. Despite decades of research, asthma remains difficult to diagnose, classify, and manage effectively, highlighting the need for deeper mechanistic insights and personalised approaches. This Special Issue aims to advance the understanding of asthma pathogenesis and foster the development of precision medicine strategies, integrating basic, translational, and clinical research.

We welcome studies on novel molecular biomarkers, multi-omics profiling, innovative therapeutic targets, and data-driven personalised care models for asthma. We invite original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and thought-provoking perspectives that address the mechanisms, diagnosis, prognosis, and personalised management of asthma.

Dr. Mohammed Aref Kyyaly
Prof. Dr. S. Hasan Arshad
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • asthma
  • pathogenesis
  • biomarkers
  • personalized medicine
  • precision therapy
  • severe asthma
  • immunopathology
  • molecular diagnostics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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26 pages, 2548 KB  
Systematic Review
MicroRNAs as Diagnostic and Therapeutic Biomarkers in Childhood Asthma: A Systematic Review with Bioinformatics Analysis
by Ahmed I. Alrefaey, Elena V. Vorobeva, Jamil Jubrail, Ibemusu Michael Otele, Mikaela Lee, Tilman Sanchez-Elsner, Syed Hasan Arshad, Ramesh J. Kurukulaaratchy and Mohammed Aref Kyyaly
J. Pers. Med. 2026, 16(4), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm16040179 (registering DOI) - 25 Mar 2026
Abstract
Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are stable, small non-coding RNAs involved in asthma-related pathways and are promising diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in childhood asthma. Objective: To identify miRNAs differentially expressed in preschool wheezing and childhood asthma, evaluate their association with asthma diagnosis and severity-related [...] Read more.
Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are stable, small non-coding RNAs involved in asthma-related pathways and are promising diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in childhood asthma. Objective: To identify miRNAs differentially expressed in preschool wheezing and childhood asthma, evaluate their association with asthma diagnosis and severity-related phenotypes, and explore their potential translational relevance through exploratory bioinformatic analyses. Methods: A systematic search of Medline, Embase, SCOPUS, PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science was conducted for English-language articles published up to March 19, 2025. Eligible human studies reported that miRNAs were differentially expressed in children with wheeze or asthma versus healthy controls (p < 0.05, fold change ≥ 1.5). Bioinformatic analysis identified hub genes, constructed protein–protein interaction networks, and predicted drug–gene interactions. Results: Forty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria, yielding 58 differentially expressed miRNAs (31 up, 27 down). Recurrently reported miRNAs included miR-497, let-7e, miR-98, miR-21, miR-126a, miR-196a2, miR-1, miR-146a-5p, miR-210-3p, miR-145-5p, and miR-200c-3p across blood, nasal swabs, BALF, and exhaled breath condensate. miR-26a showed strong diagnostic performance (sensitivity 83%, specificity 93%; p < 0.002, 95% CI 0.831–0.987). Functional enrichment implicated 56 differentially expressed genes in metabolic and immune processes. Ten hub genes (including TNF, IL5, IL13, TLR4) were linked to 339 potential therapeutic agents; the exploratory network analysis highlighted overlap between predicted miRNA-regulated hub genes and existing asthma-relevant drug targets, including approved biologics. Conclusions: Our review findings suggest that several miRNAs are promising candidate biomarkers for childhood asthma phenotyping and severity assessment; however, their diagnostic utility remains exploratory and requires rigorous external validation and standardisation before clinical application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogenesis and Personalized Management of Asthma)
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