Despite strides in therapeutic development for asthma management, its morbidity and mortality persistently rise, particularly burdening low- and middle-income countries. To address this pressing need for deeper insight into asthma pathogenesis and therapeutic targets, Respiratory Research presents two focused issues that showcase cutting-edge discoveries in the field.  The findings presented in both collections, “Asthma: Towards a Cure” and “Human Precision Cut Lung Slices: an Ex Vivo Platform for Therapeutic Target Discovery and Drug Testing in Lung Disease” will provide exciting discoveries furthering education and speaking to the theme of this year’s World Asthma Day – Asthma Education Empowers.

The first themed collection, "Asthma: Towards a Cure," compiles manuscripts delving into innovative science aimed at addressing the unmet challenge of managing and ultimately curing asthma. Within this collection, authors unveil novel biomarkers predicting therapeutic responses to both emerging and established treatments. Encompassing fundamental, translational, and clinical studies, these manuscripts not only disseminate new approaches but also strive to influence clinical practice and policy.

The second issue, "Human Precision Cut Lung Slices: an Ex Vivo Platform for Therapeutic Target Discovery and Drug Testing in Lung Disease,” spotlights the utility of an experimental platform mirroring the complexities of the in vivo lung environment. While precision cut lung slices (PCLS) have been utilized in respiratory research since the late 1970s, recent innovations have propelled their acceptance and expanded their applications across various domains. From toxicology and drug discovery to lung cancer biology and respiratory pathogen exposure, PCLS derived from both animal models and human lungs have significantly enhanced our understanding of integrated cellular responses, elucidating fundamental mechanisms in lung biology and providing a platform for therapeutic discovery.

Given the global impact of asthma, Respiratory Research is committed to sharing breakthroughs in asthma research, thereby contributing to the advancement of global health initiatives and providing education to both the scientific community and the general public to empower everyone to combat this disease.

Cynthia Koziol-White and Reynold A. Panettieri, Jr.

Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey USA