Researchers are reporting new insights into the genetic and cellular changes associated with the development of nasal polyps, soft outgrowths that can appear in the nasal passages and sinuses and cause breathing problems and infections. A better understanding of these changes could lead to new treatments for nasal polyps as well as related inflammatory conditions such as asthma, sinusitis, and certain allergies, they say.
In the new study, the researchers obtained cell samples from 12 patients with nasal polyps or other sinus conditions, for a total collection of 18,036 cells. They compared these to nasal cells collected from healthy individuals. One highlight of the findings: They discovered that epithelial progenitor cells, which give rise to cells that line the airways, had been completely altered in the polyp samples. The researchers hope that the information obtained from their study, which sheds light on inflammatory disease processes, can lead to new ways to diagnose and treat chronic allergic inflammation in the sinus. Their study, partly funded by NHLBI, appeared in Nature.