NIAID supports research to address the disproportionate public health burden of asthma in urban populations. NIAID funds the Childhood Asthma in Urban Settings (CAUSE) network to conduct research focused on understanding how the environment, allergens, and genetics interact with the body’s immune system to cause asthma and aggravate its symptoms. Launched in 2021, CAUSE builds upon research conducted through its predecessor program, the Inner-City Asthma Consortium (ICAC).
The following CAUSE clinical studies are currently recruiting or were recently completed. The links lead to full eligibility criteria, study site locations, and contact information:
Prevention of Asthma Exacerbations Using Dupilumab in Urban Children and Adolescents (PANDA) (NCT05347771)
Prevention of asthma exacerbations is one of the primary goals of current asthma therapy. New treatment modalities such as biologics are playing an increasing role in asthma management as adjunctive therapy. PANDA is a multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of the biologic dupilumab as adjunctive therapy for prevention of asthma exacerbations in urban children and adolescents with mostly allergic asthma.
Registry for Asthma Characterization and Recruitment 3 (RACR3) (NCT05272241)
There is a need for people to take part in research studies to learn more about diseases and how to treat them. RACR3 will create a database of participants of all ages with asthma and nasal allergies, or risk factors for these conditions, who are potentially eligible for future CAUSE trials.
Cockroach Immunotherapy in Children and Adolescents (CRITICAL) (NCT03541187)
Scientific evidence has shown that, over the past two decades, the combination of cockroach allergy and cockroach exposure is one of the most important factors contributing to the dramatic increase in asthma morbidity seen in disadvantaged urban children with asthma. The primary objective of this study that is now complete was to determine if asthma severity can be improved by cockroach subcutaneous immunotherapy treatment.
Read more about the NIAID role in asthma research.
Visit the NIH website to learn about the importance of children in clinical studies.