Asthma Trial, Recruiting

Written by an AI model from ClinicalTrials.gov eligibility criteria and checked on a sample basis. Please confirm against the original criteria.

Who might be able to join this trial:

• People who are generally healthy with no existing health concerns that could affect study results.
• People between 18 and 75 years old.
• People who have been diagnosed with asthma by a doctor for at least six months before the screening visit, where the asthma is mild and well-controlled with low-level treatment (such as a reliever inhaler alone, or a low-dose preventer inhaler).
• People whose breathing test results show a significant improvement after using a reliever inhaler, or who test positive on a specific airway sensitivity test (historical test results approved by the study team may be accepted).
• People whose lung function (measured by a breathing test called FEV1) meets the minimum levels required at the screening and baseline visits.
• People who have a confirmed allergy to at least one of the following — cat hair, house dust mites, or ragweed — and who also experience asthma symptoms when exposed to that allergen (allergy test results from within the last 5 years with this research group may be accepted).
• People who are able to tolerate a simulated MRI brain scanning session.
• People who are willing and able to give written consent and follow the study procedures, in the opinion of the investigator.
• People with a specific genetic profile related to a brain protein called TSPO (high-affinity binding type); people with a mixed binding profile may also be considered at the lead researcher's discretion.

Who may not be able to join:

• People who currently smoke more than half a pack per week, have smoked at all within the two weeks before study procedures, or have a significant smoking history in the last 10 years.
• People who are currently receiving allergy immunotherapy (desensitisation treatment).
• People taking certain psychiatric medications that may affect the brain pathways being studied, as determined by the lead researchers.
• People who are unable to pause certain medications as required by the study's medication hold schedule.
• People with a fear of needles or enclosed spaces (needle phobia or claustrophobia).
• People who have had a stroke, mini-stroke (TIA), heart attack, stent placement, or acute coronary syndrome in the last six months; other serious health conditions such as autoimmune disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart disease, significant heart rhythm problems, or lung diseases other than asthma may also make a person ineligible, at the researchers' discretion.
• People taking certain biologic (advanced injectable or infused) medications that may affect the biological pathways being studied, at the researchers' discretion.
• People with a pre-existing long-term infectious disease.
• People who regularly take a type of blood pressure or heart medication called non-selective beta-blockers before each study visit.
• People currently taking beta-1 selective blocker medications (such as metoprolol, atenolol, or similar drugs).
• People who have taken an experimental drug within 30 days before entering the study, or within a longer washout period if required based on the drug's properties, as determined by the lead researchers.
• People with any condition or implant that makes MRI scanning unsafe, as determined by the current MRI screening process.
• People with a diagnosed history of Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, or Schizoaffective Disorder.
• People with a history of serious head injury or a seizure disorder (though inclusion may be considered at the researchers' discretion).
• People who, in the investigator's opinion, are unable to follow directions or tolerate the study procedures.
• People who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant during the study.
• People who need glasses to see clearly and cannot wear contact lenses, as glasses cannot be worn inside the PET/MR scanning equipment used in this study.
• People with any other medical condition that the lead researchers believe could affect safety or the quality of the study results.
• People who have ever required a breathing tube due to asthma, or who have had a severe asthma episode requiring an emergency room visit or hospitalisation in the past year.
• People who use an inhaled corticosteroid (preventer) inhaler for their asthma at the time of joining will go through a supervised step-down of their medication before proceeding. People in this step-down process will not move forward in the study if, during those six weeks, any of the following occur: needing a reliever inhaler more than two days a week for symptoms (not for exercise-related symptoms); peak flow dropping below 80% of their usual level for more than two days in a row; needing oral steroid tablets for asthma; or scoring below 20 on the Asthma Control Test (ACT).

Important: Always verify eligibility with the trial site directly before applying.